Context: Recently Nyaya Vikas Portal was launched to empower stakeholders with seamless access to information pertaining to funding, documentation, project monitoring and approval.
About Nyaya Vikas
It is a Centrally Sponsored Scheme (CSS) of the Department of since 1993-94.
It is aimed at the development of Infrastructure Facilities for Districts and Subordinate Judiciary.
Under the Scheme, central assistance is provided to the State Government / UT Administrations for the construction of court halls and residential units for Judicial Officers / Judges of District and Subordinate Courts.
With the further extension of the scheme beyond 31.03.2021, some new features like Lawyers Hall, Toilet complexes and Digital computer rooms have been added to the scheme for the convenience of lawyers and litigants, besides court halls and residential units.
The funds sharing pattern under the Scheme for the Center and State is 60:40 in respect of States other than North Eastern and Himalayan States.
The funds sharing pattern is 90:10 in respect of North Eastern and Himalayan States and 100% in respect of Union Territories.
This portal has been created for monitoring the implementation of this Scheme.
Context:The Maharashtra Cabinet has formally approved the renaming of Ahmednagar district to 'Ahilyanagar' after the 18th century Maratha Queen Ahilyabai Holkar. The renaming of Ahmednagar follows the government's decision to rename Aurangabad as Chhatrapati Sambhajinagar and Osmanabad as Dharashiv.
More about the news
Ahilyabai was born in Ahmednagar and after her husband's death in the Battle of Kumbher in 1754, Ahilyabai took charge of the Malwa region.
She established Maheshwar as the capital of the Holkar dynasty in present-day Madhya Pradesh.
The demand for renaming Ahmednagar was initially raised by the ‘Dhangar community’, as Ahilyabai belonged to the Dhangar (shepherd) community.
Ahmednagar, located in the Western region of Maharashtra, has a rich history dating back to 240 BC, mentioned in reference to Mauryan Emperor Ashoka.
During the medieval period, Ahmednagar came under the rule of influential dynasties such as Rashtrakutas, Western Chalukyas and Delhi Sultanate.
Under Delhi Sultanate, the region was indirectly controlled and a revolt by Afghan soldier Allaudin Hasan Gangu resulted in the establishment of the Bahmani kingdom in Deccan.
In 1486, Prime Minister Malik Ahmad Nizam Shah defeated Bahamani Sultan’s attempt to remove him from power, which led to the establishment of an independent kingdom called Nizam Shahi (Ahmednagar), after the disintegration of the Bahmani empire. In 1490, the city of Ahmednagar was founded, on the left bank of the Sina River.
In his book ‘A Discovery of India’, Jawaharlal Nehru acknowledged Nizam Shah as the founder of Ahmednagar in 1490.
In 1636 Aurangzeb, then Mughal viceroy of Deccan finally annexed the sultanate to the Mughal Empire.
Renaming places in India
The Supreme Court dismissed a Public Interest Litigation (PIL) that sought to rename the commission should focus on ‘ancient India’.
The court upheld the principles of ‘rule of law, secularism, and constitutionalism’, and warned against intolerance.
The court stated that the country cannot be held prisoner to the past.
Constitutional provisions for renaming places in India
Renaming a city is a task entrusted to the State Legislatures:
A resolution is raised by a Member of the Legislative Assembly, proposing the renaming of a particular city or street.
It is deliberated upon, and its consequences are discussed.
The validity of the resolution is then voted upon.
If there is a simple majority vote in favour of the resolution, it is declared passed.
State Legislature, based on the majority view, makes necessary changes to the name of the city.
The procedure for renaming a state is a task entrusted to the Parliament:
Article 3 and 4 of the Constitution provides for the renaming of a state.
A bill for renaming a state is introduced in Parliament on the recommendation of the President.
Before the introduction of the bill, President sends it to the respective state assembly to express their views within a stipulated time.
Views of the state assembly are not binding on President or Parliament but are of vital importance as any law made will affect that particular state.
The bill is then sent to Parliament for deliberation and it must be passed by a simple majority.
The bill is sent to President for approval and after approval, the bill becomes a law, modifying officially the name of the state.
The rationale behind renaming places in India
Rapid development: India is projected to experience significant urbanization, with an additional 416 million people to reside in cities by 2050. Each new project or street will require a new name.
Fostering Indian identity: Visakhapatnam was given the name ‘Waltair’ by the British, and renaming it aims to reclaim its Indian identity.
Honouring leaders: To honour individuals being universally admired for their contributions to the country. Aurangzeb Road was renamed Dr APJ Abdul Kalam Road in tribute to former President of India
Identity politics: A powerful tool for promoting communal pride.
Political changes: A testing ground for political changes that go beyond symbolic gestures and have substantive implications.
Advantages of renaming places
Preserving cultural heritage: Changing Gurgaon to ‘Gurugram’ restored the historical name, it got from the Mahabharata story of Guru Dronacharya. Similarly, renaming Allahabad as ‘Prayag Raj’ reflects its cultural significance.
Civilizational awakening: Renaming places can contribute to reviving a sense of civilizational consciousness, which has faced invasions and colonialism.
Exerting norms in public space: Allows governments to shape the values embedded in public spaces and contribute to the formation of a desired societal order.
Challenges in renaming places
Creating confusion: In a global economy, changing names after they have gained universal recognition can lead to confusion.
Intangible aspects: Intangible aspects tied to the lived reality of communities may still be associated with the original name. Cultural and historical identities may persist despite official name changes.
Cultural genocide: Renaming places can be viewed as part of a larger process of cultural genocide, where communities feel diminished by disregarding their contributions to the nation's history.
Economic costs: Revising signage to updating official documents and data sets, which involve public expenditure.
Way forward
Supreme Court’s message: It cautioned against misusing history and emphasised the importance of upholding the concept of fraternity in the Constitution's Preamble.
Focus on re-education: Addressing historical guilt and creating a more inclusive society requires re-educating present societies about past wrongs.
Revamp naming philosophy: India needs a revamped philosophy of naming that avoids wasting social capital, especially considering projected urban development and infrastructure expansion.
Avoid politicisation: Political parties should refrain from using popular beliefs and historical narratives as political stunts. Lawmakers should prioritize growth over further fragmentation of society.
Respect history and fraternity: Prioritize upholding the concept of fraternity as outlined in the Constitution's Preamble.
Inclusive cultural landscapes: Ensure that cultural landscapes embrace names, languages, and scripts from diverse communities, fostering a sense of belonging for all.
Context: Recently, the UGC has released new guidelines for deemed universities.
Eligibility Criteria for an Institution to be Declared as Institution Deemed to Be University
A multi-disciplinary Institution (minimum five Departments either UG/PG/Integrated/Research or a combination of these) OR a Cluster of Institutions offering five (UG/PG/Integrated/Research or a combination of these) programmes located in the same city/town.
The Institution(s) shall have valid accreditation by NAAC grade with at least 3.01 CGPA for three consecutive cycles provided that the application for accreditation/re-accreditation was submitted by the Institution within the time frame from the previous cycle.
OR
In the case of the technical institution(s), two-thirds of eligible technical programmes were accredited by the NBA for three consecutive cycles provided that the Institution submitted the application for accreditation/re-accreditation within the time frame from the previous cycle.
OR
Should figure among the top 50 (fifty) ranking of NIRF in any specific category for consecutive three years.
OR
Among the top 100 (hundred) of the overall NIRF ranking for three consecutive years.
Shall possess such academic and physical infrastructure as may be prescribed by the Commission and/or the relevant statutory body.
Approval of the relevant statutory body for the professional courses which are currently being run.
The teacher-student ratio of 1:20 with a minimum combined faculty strength of not less than 100 (one hundred) teachers and a minimum combined student strength of 2000 (two thousand) on rolls under the regular classroom mode, of which not less than one-third being PG/research students OR as per the norms of the relevant statutory body.
Shall have an administrative area, library, lecture halls, labs, hostels, health care, common facilities and recreational facilities.
Corpus Fund: In the case of Institutions not funded by the Government, a Corpus Fund of Rs. 25 Crore or as decided by the Commission from time to time.
Off-Campus Centre(s): Institutions Deemed to be Universities with minimum ‘A’ grade & above or ranked from 1-100 in the "Universities" category of the current NIRF ranking are eligible to set up new Off-Campus Centre
Institutions declared as Deemed to be Universities under ‘Distinct Category’ can apply for off-campus (es) within 5 years of their declaration. After five years, they have to fulfil the criteria stipulated earlier.
Monitoring: The Commission shall monitor the performance and academic outcomes of Deemed to be Universities having valid accreditation by NAAC with less than an ‘A’ grade or ranked more than 100 in the current NIRF ranking (Universities category) not later than every five years, on the basis of a report submitted annually by the Deemed to be Universities
Governance structure: The highest governing body of the Institution Deemed to be a University shall be the Executive Council to be headed by the Vice Chancellor, consisting of not less than 9 and not more than 15 members.
Tenure of the members of the Executive Council: All the members of the Executive Council, other than the Vice-Chancellor and Pro-Vice-Chancellor, shall hold office for a term of three years. In the case of Deans, the term will be for three years or until they hold the office of Dean, whichever is earlier.
Context: Law Commission of India has opined that Section 124A criminalising sedition should be retained. However, with some procedural safeguards.
S. G. Vombatkere Case (Supreme Demands Review of Sedition Law)
The opinion of Law Commission is significant as a Supreme Court bench last year decided to put in abeyance all cases of Sedition and directed Centre & State Governments not register any fresh FIR invoking the offence. (S. G. Vombatkere Case)
The Court also directed the Government for examining the sedition law as it found the sedition law not in tune with current times.
Reasons for demand of repeal of sedition law:
Sedition law has a chilling effect on free speech and expression.
Alleged misuse of sedition law for curbing political dissent.
Vague definition of sedition law leading to erroneous interpretation
Very easy to use this law and lack of checks & safeguards
Overzealous application of this law to please political masters (important particularly in light of lack of police reforms)
Reasons for Retaining Sedition as a Crime
For safeguarding the Unity & Integrity of India:
All organised societies have right to protect itself against attempts to overthrow. It is the chief duty of any government to safeguard State & its institutions against external and internal attack.
Precondition of enjoying freedom is to ensure the security of the State because without such guarantee of stability the rest of the law will be ineffective.
Section 124A provides a prompt and effective mechanism for suppression of disintegrating tendencies and protects & preserves the integrity of Indian State. It is a deterrent for persons who want to commit acts of incitement to violence & acts causing disturbance of public order.
Sedition law can check the proliferation of radicalisation against India, promotion of hatred against Government particularly on the social media.
Sedition is a Reasonable Restriction under Article 19(2)
Critics have argued that Sedition Law is violative of Right to speech and expression under Article 19(2) of Constitution. But arguments against this position are:
Constituent Assembly substituted 'sedition' with 'which undermines the security of, or tends to overthrow the State', as the later phrase had a wider import and was more expansive in meaning.
First Amendment of the Constitution incorporated public order, friendly relations with foreign states and incitement to an offence as reasonable restrictions under Article 19(1)(a). SC in Kedar Nath Singh judgement held that sedition was a constitutional restriction under the ambit reasonable restrictions to speech & expression.
When two interpretations of a law are possible the one rendering it constitutional and the other making it unconstitutional, the former interpretation should prevail.
Existence of counter-terror legislations does not obviate the need for Section 124A:
Critics argue that counter terror laws like UAPA & National Security Act makes the sedition law irrelevant. However, these special laws & anti-terror legislations dealing with national security seek to prevent or punish the commission of offences targeted towards the state.
On the other hand, Sedition law seeks to prevent violent, illegal & unconstitutional overthrow of a democratically elected government established by law. Hence, the existence of counter terror laws does not imply all elements of the offence envisaged under Sedition.
Sedition being a colonial legacy is not a valid ground for its repeal:
Critics argue that sedition law is of a colonial legacy and was used against freedom fighters. However, if we go by this logic then the entire legal system of India should be overthrown as India's legal system is a colonial legacy.
The colonial government acted like a master and treated Indians not a citizens but as its servant.
However, in today's constitutional and democratic set up, Government is based on the will of the people, wherein the government is only a servant of the people as it is elected by the people.
Constitution provides ample space and liberty to people to indulge in healthy & constructive criticism of their government in a democratic set up.
However, there is a need to penalise pernicious tendency to incite violence or cause public disorder in the guise of right to freedom of speech & expression.
Realities differ in every jurisdiction:
The argument that just because some countries have repealed sedition from law books means India should also repeal sedition means turning a blind eye to the glaring ground realities & security concerns existing in India.
Even the countries which have repealed sedition law, mere cosmetic changes have been made in the law of sedition without taking away the core of law of sedition or merely merged their sedition law with counter terror laws.
Recommendations of Law Commission on Sedition
Incorporation of ratio of Kedar Nath Judgement of Section 124A of IPC: Supreme Court laid down in Kedar Nath Singh that unless the words used or actions in question
Do not tend to incite violence or
Cause public disorder or
Cause disturbance to public peace
Procedural Guidelines for Preventing any Alleged Misuse of Section 124A of IPC
To prevent any alleged misuse of Section 124A of IPC, the Law Commission has suggested certain procedural safeguards to be undertaken prior to registration of FIR with respect to commission of an offence of Sedition.
These procedural safeguards can be introduced by issuance of guidelines by central government or an amendment in Section 154 of CrPC (dealing with filing of FIR for cognizable offence).
A FIR for an offence of Sedition can be filed only after a police officer not below the rank of inspector conducts a preliminary inquiry. Based on this preliminary report, the Central or State Government should grant permission for registering a FIR.
Removal of Oddity in Punishment Prescribed for Section 124A of IPC: Currently, the punishment prescribed for sedition is either life imprisonment or imprisonment for three years, but nothing in between. There is a need to reform the punishment prescribed for sedition under IPC to allow courts greater room to award punishment for sedition in line with scale and gravity of act committed.
Proposed definition of Sedition
Current Definition of Sedition
Proposed Definition of Sedition
Medium of Sedition
By words, either spoken or written By signsBy visible representationOtherwise
By words, either spoken or written By signsBy visible representationOtherwise
What Qualifies as Sedition?
Attempts to bring into hatred or contempt or excites or attempts to excite disaffection towards the Government established by law.Expression of 'disaffection' includes disloyalty & all feelings of enmity.
Attempts to bring into hatred or contempt or excites or attempts to excite disaffection towards the Government established by law, with a tendency to incite violence or cause public disorder (new addition).Tendency means mere inclination to incite violence or cause public disorder rather than proof of actual violence or imminent threat to violence. Expression of 'disaffection' includes disloyalty & all feelings of enmity.
What is not Sedition?
Comments expressing disapprobation of measures of Government with a view to obtain their alteration by lawful means, without exciting or attempting to excite hatred, contempt or disaffection. Comments expressing disapprobation of administrative or other action of Government without exciting or attempting to excite hatred, contempt or disaffection.
Comments expressing disapprobation of measures of Government with a view to obtain their alteration by lawful means, without exciting or attempting to excite hatred, contempt or disaffection. Comments expressing disapprobation of administrative or other action of Government without exciting or attempting to excite hatred, contempt or disaffection.
Punishment for Sedition
Life imprisonment to which fine may be added, orImprisonment which may extend to three, or with fine.
Life imprisonment to which fine may be added, orImprisonment for a term which may extend to seven years, or with fine.
Context: The U.S. announced a new visa policy to support Bangladesh’s goal of holding free, fair, and peaceful national elections.
About New Visa Policy
The new visa policy threatens to restrict visas to Bangladeshis who undermine the democratic election process at home.
The restriction would apply to current and former Bangladeshi officials, members of pro-government and opposition political parties, and members of law enforcement, the judiciary, and security services.
Reason for the formulation of the US’s new policy
Because of the authoritarian style of functioning of Bangladesh’s Prime Minister. For example:
Digital Security Act 2018 as a threat to freedom of expression. The space for dissent and criticism has shrunk visibly in Bangladesh
Banned the Jamaat-e-Islami as a political party, and set up a court that convicted many of its members for collaborating with the Pakistan Army in 1971 and sentenced several to life terms in prison or death.
Reaction of Bangladesh
Government: US was seeking regime change in Bangladesh and demands such visa policy should not be applied arbitrarily in a non-objective manner.
Opposition: They said the policy will play a supporting role in holding the next polls in a fair and credible manner.
Consequences of this policy
The U.S. is the largest foreign direct investor in Bangladesh followed by Japan and China.
The U.S. is the third largest trading partner of Bangladesh and is the largest recipient of the garments produced in Bangladesh.
A Generalised Scheme of Preferences Plus (GSP+) status with the US and Europe for its readymade garment exports is crucial when Bangladesh graduates out of the least developed country category in 2026. Dhaka is lobbying hard for this.
With China taking a keen interest in Bangladesh, the U.S. feels the need to look beyond trade ties. The importance of the Indo-Pacific strategy also makes Bangladesh politically indispensable for the U.S.
Impact on India
Over the last few years, the US and India were seen as acting in tandem in Bangladesh, especially as their security objectives converged. The visa policy is a sign that this may be changing.
The post-Afghanistan US, with new priorities, seems more open than India to political change in Dhaka.
The US position on the Bangladesh elections could complicate India’s diplomacy in Bangladesh as India prefers the present government as the Bangladesh Nationalist Party (BNP), links to Islamist parties and is born with anti-India sentiment.
India’s Stand
India has not responded to the visa restrictions despite the fact that Bangladesh is the largest trade and security partner of India in South Asia.
Importance of Bangladesh to India:
The Prime Minister of Bangladesh has uprooted insurgents of northeast India who had maintained a base in Bangladesh for decades.
Signed land transit rights to the North-eastern states,
Signed a favourable coal power deal with an Indian company.
Virtual autism is a phrase formulated in 2018 by Marius Teodor Zamfir, a Romanian psychologist. He found that children, 0-3 years, who stared at screens for over 4 hours a day, had “sensory-motor and socio-affective deprivation”.
These activated “behaviours and elements are similar to those found in children diagnosed with ASD [autism spectrum disorder]”.
Autism is a pervasive development disorder, meaning it affects all areas of early childhood development, including speech, sociability, play, and skill development.
The nervous system is not ready for screens at an early stage of life.
A parent or sibling blowing bubbles and a child reaching out to touch them is not the same as the simulated video game on a tablet.
Children at this age learn a variety of skills as they discover their bodies, simple objects, and the voices of family members.
By using screens as a substitute for self-soothing or as a distraction, we are destroying five levels of learning, These include
Interoception (awareness of body cues),
Sensory learning that is not restricted to the visual,
Muscle memory to enables a lower-level skill to progress into a higher-level skill,
Emotional learning, and other forms of learning (including school work, regulation, and problem-solving).
For a child who has been spending long hours in front of screens and is showing signs of uneven development, there is a combination of ways of reversing the prognosis.
How to treat virtual autism
Treatment of virtual autism is to be structured by professionals (child psychologists and occupational therapists), but not restricted to the therapist’s office.
It is about changing the home environment to be more stimulating — letting babies be idle and not having to engage them all the time it can be treated through using various therapies like-
Play therapy
Psychomotor stimulation therapy to language stimulation
Context:The Trump-era policy which focused on the U.S. to decouple from China is being phased out by a new concept. The U.S. has expressed that it is shifting its policy on China from decoupling to de-risking. The EU has already declared that its approach to China will be based on de-risking.
What is ‘de-risking’?
After the establishment of diplomatic ties between the U.S. and China in 1979, both the countries embarked on a path of increasing economic interdependence. China gained immensely from this relationship, as it helped the country drastically widen and deepen its diplomatic and economic engagement with the rest of the world.
As China’s economic and military power grew, its ambition to challenge the primacy of the U.S. in the international system became increasingly apparent. China’s rise not only came at the expense of America’s global clout, but also the latter’s domestic industry, which got “hollowed out” in its four-decade old economic embrace with China. ( This has been highlighted by United States as the weakness of the Washington Consensus, and for which it has floated the New Washington Consensus)
The Trump administration made it a point to attack the gargantuan bilateral trade imbalance in favour of China. It also wished to keep the U.S’s high technology sector out of China’s reach. The U.S.-China ‘trade war’ started, and bilateral relations were set on course for a “decoupling” from the American standpoint.
The Biden administration added its own features into the China policy inherited from Trump. Most recently the label of “decoupling” has been changed to “de-risking”.
According to the U.S. “de-risking fundamentally means having resilient, effective supply chains and ensuring we cannot be subjected to the coercion of any other country”. For Example the U.S.’s geo-economic initiatives like the Partnership for Global Infrastructure and Investment as well as the Indo-Pacific Economic Framework for Prosperity are also supposed to reflect the spirit of de-risking.
Why the Change now?
The policy change has been announced in the wake of several events of high geopolitical significance.
The world has just emerged out of the tentacles of the pandemic after three disruptive years and the global economy is hoping for a resulting rebound.
The U.S.-China rivalry had peaked in the past few months from the ratcheting of tensions across the Taiwan Strait to the acrimonious spy balloon episode between the two countries.
China also witnessed Xi Jinping beginning his second decade of rule over China
China Under XI and under his third leadership tenure, extended his “peace-making diplomacy” to West Asia, striking gold in normalising the frayed Saudi-Iran ties.
Further the U.S.-China relations as a new Cold War and a zero-sum game appears to be risky for the U.S. Bringing more nuance into its earlier decoupling approach could bring down China’s guard and give the U.S. more room to re-consolidate its strength.
The Russia-Ukraine conflict could have played a pivotal role in enabling the U.S’s policy shift towards China. The Biden administration, unlike its predecessor, has made it a point to reassure its European allies. At a time when China has been backing Russia in its shadow battle in Ukraine against the West, the idea of decoupling hardly appeals to the European Union (EU). The EU has in fact been looking to woo China in order to convince it to stop supporting Russia from skirting Western sanctions.
All of these developments have necessitated the U.S. to recalibrate its posture towards China
What could be the geopolitical ramifications of de-risking?
The U.S. efforts to keep its allies closer in its geopolitical rivalry against China by adopting the path of de-risking has already won a significant victory in Japan at the G-7 summit.
The West’s moves to counter China’s rise much more sustainable by facilitating a united front among allies.
At the same time China has expressed its scepticism to the West’s de-risking approach, portraying it as a façade to the decoupling agenda. It has expressed its disapproval in painting China as the actor responsible for heightening geopolitical risks. According to China, the real source of risks is the U.S., which it alleges to have created instability across the world by pursuing political and military interventions and perpetuating a Cold War mindset.
For countries like India it will stand to benefit from de-risking by leveraging its benefits like attracting supply chains and confronting China’s aggressive moves, it could also come at a cost.
According to the Joint Malnutrition Estimates released by the UNICEF, the WHO and the World Bank, India has shown a significant improvement in various indices of Nutrition.
Stunting among children under five years in India dropped from a prevalence rate of 41.6% in 2012 to 31.7% in 2022. This was accompanied by India’s share of the global burden of stunting declining from 30% to 25% in the past decade.
The overall prevalence of wasting in 2022 was 18.7% in India, with a share of 49% in the global burden.
The prevalence of obesity marginally increased in a decade from 2.2% in 2012 to 2.8% in 2022.
The decline in stunting in India is commensurate with National Family Health Survey (NFHS)-5 (2019-2021) data which estimated its prevalence at 35.5% as against 38% in NFHS-4 (2016) and 48% in NFHS-3 (2006).
Despite improvement in the stunting and wasting, significant number of children are still reeling under the problem of Malnutrition.
Reasons for prevalence of widespread Hunger in India:
Inappropriate child feeding practices: The WHO and UNICEF recommend that breastfeeding should be initiated within the first hour of birth and infants should be exclusively breastfed for the first six months. NFHS-5 says that only 42% of infants are breastfed within one hour of birth and only 64% of infants are exclusively breastfed for first 6 months.
Low Female literacy: Nutrition levels are majorly affected by the education level of women. It increases awareness about nutrient-rich diet, personal hygiene, good feeding practices etc. Educating women also help in containing the family size in poor, malnourished families. But female literacy in India is only 65% and the rate is much lower for the states like Bihar and Rajasthan that recorded high levels of malnutrition in children.
Poor Sanitation: Repeated infection with diarrhoeal diseases due to poor sanitation contributes to chronic malnutrition by inhibiting intestinal absorption of nutrients and is strongly correlated with stunting. The proportion of people with access to improved sanitation facilities in India is only 49% as per NHFS-4.
Micro nutrient deficiency: According to studies, more than 80 per cent of the Indian population suffers from micronutrient deficiencies, contributing to compromised immunity. This is mainly due to lack of dietary diversification, changed dietary habits, food processing resulting in plant micronutrient loss, crop homogenisation.
Food inflation:With rising food inflation families become less able to buy and eat nutritious food. According to a report of ADB, 1 per cent increase in food inflation leads to an increase of 0.3 per cent in both infant and child mortalities, and 0.5 per cent in undernourishment.
Limitations of existing schemes:
The ICDS program, while successful in many ways, has not made a significant dent in child malnutrition. This is mostly due to the priority that the program has placed on food supplementation, targeting mostly children after the age of three when malnutrition has already set in.
Stringent conditions to avail the benefits of Pradhan Mantri Matru Vandana Yojana has led to the exclusion of teenage mothers and poor women who birth more than one child, thereby abetting the intergenerational cycle of undernutrition.
Exclusion errors, non-inclusion of nutritious items such as pulses and edible oil in the PDS basket failed to improve the nutritional status of poor households.
Impact on national growth
It is estimated that malnutrition can decrease the economic growth of a nation by approximately 8% due to loss in productivity caused by reduced schooling and cognitive impairments. Research suggests that $1 spent on nutritional interventions in India could generate $34.1 to $38.6 in public economic returns, three times more than the global average. As one of the fastest growing economies in the world, India requires a strong and healthy workforce to sustain its growth levels.
Measures taken by the Government:
POSHAN Abhiyaan is an overarching umbrella scheme to improve the nutritional outcomes for children, pregnant women and lactating mothers by holistically addressing the multiple determinants of malnutrition. It involves convergence of multiple programs and schemes: ICDS, PMMVY, NHM (with its sub components such as JSY, MCP card, Anaemia Mukt Bharat, RBSK, IDCF, HBNC, HBYC, Take Home Rations), Swachh Bharat Mission, National Drinking water Mission, NRLM etc.
Pradhan Mantri Poshan Shakti Nirman (PM POSHAN) for providing one hot cooked meal in Government and Government – aided Schools.
Food fortification:
Fortification of wheat is being implemented in 12 states on pilot basis.
Fortification of edible oil, too, was made compulsory across the country by FSSAI in 2018.
Fortification of milk was started in 2017 under which the National Dairy Development Board of India (NDDB) is pushing companies to add vitamin D.
States have been scaling up the use of double-fortified salt in an effort to combat iron and iodine deficiencies.
Price stabilisation fundto regulate the price volatility of important agri-horticultural commodities like onion, potatoes and pulses.
Context:The intensifying head-to-head clash between the United States and China has set alarm bells ringing. The beginning was with a trade war in 2018, U.S. policy towards China has morphed into a draconian technology denial regime aimed at hobbling China’s rise. Further the USA is preventing any Chinese military venture to capture Taiwan, for which it has taken major steps across the Indo-Pacific to shore up its military edge. Both China and US are jostling for power and influence across the world. It is to understand that “Extreme competition” over technologies may have initiated the conflict, but their insecurities are increasingly bringing their military and nuclear instruments to the fore.
USA's approach towards China
The United States today is seeking wider international consensus on the new economic approach from its allies and partners, including India. The Unites states is pushing its efforts to build a “New Washington Consensus” as the Washington Consensus has started showing fissures and the lacunas in the approach which are highlighted by the following reasons:
The conviction that the “markets know best” approach led to the hollowing out of the US industrial base. It was argued that in the name of oversimplified market efficiency, entire supply chains of strategic goods along with the industries and jobs that made them moved overseas. It was realised that deep trade liberalisation though helped America export goods, but not jobs and capacity.
Secondly the notion that “all growth was good growth”, led to the privileging of some sectors like finance “while other essential sectors, like semiconductors and infrastructure, atrophied”.
Thirdly, the old assumption “that economic integration would make nations more responsible and open, and that the global order would be more peaceful and cooperative”, also led to distortion wherein Unites States referred to the premise underlying China’s admission into the WTO in 2001 wherein admitting countries into the rules-based order should have incentivised them to adhere to its rules”. However the problems triggered by the integration of a “large non-market economy” like China into the WTO.
It was realised that the America’s economic policy must confront the urgent need for a “just and efficient transition” to green economic growth and the political imperative of reducing economic inequality at home that has undermined American democracy. Thus for this purpose the United States has offered a five-fold policy framework under the New Washington Consensus
The first is to return to industrial policy that was the hallmark of US economic development historically, but dismissed by economic neoliberalism in the last few decades. For this the US has restored the role of the state in pumping investments into semiconductor production and promoting the development and deployment of green technologies.
Second, the United States under its new approach is not seeking autarky or promoting protectionism. The US is not going alone, and wants to develop a joint effort with US allies and partners, including India.
Third, United States wants its friends and partners to look beyond traditional trade policies. Wherein he highlighted the US-proposed Indo-Pacific Economic Framework is not a free trade agreement.
Fourth, the US is trying to mobilise “trillions in investment into emerging economies with solutions that those countries are fashioning on their own, but with capital enabled by a different brand” of US economic diplomacy. This primarily involves offering an alternative to China’s Belt and Road Initiative, addressing the global debt crisis, and reforming multilateral development banks.
Lastly United States is also pushing the efforts to develop a new set of export controls on sensitive technology that will limit national security threats from China and other rivals.
However International Scholars believe that the new Washington Consensus will face some of the critical challenges as it marred with variety of challenges like
CURTAIL NOT CONTAIN: Experts believe that while export controls may slow China, it is impossible to prevent it from developing its own technologies. The Russian experience shows too that sanctions are not easy to work either.
UNEQUIVOCAL CHINESE STAND: China does not see much difference between “de-risking” and “containment”. Its immediate response to the G-7 was to order its infrastructure companies to stop buying from American companies.
FISSURES WITHIN WEST: The United States will also face much challenge from its allies as the French President Emmanuel Macron’s has refused to be a vassal state of the U.S., which represents a tip of the iceberg of the worries of its partners in Europe and allies such as South Korea.
ECONOMIC DEPENDENCE: China made up roughly one-third of the U.S. industry’s market and would be “impossible to replace as both a source of components and an end market for its product
POLITICS OVER ECONOMICS: While the old Washington Consensus was largely in the area of economics, the new suffers from an overdose of geopolitics which is also feeding into local U.S. politics as well.
CONCLUSION
United states and China seem to be involved in what the Americans call a game of “chicken” which comes with a high risk of miscalculation, war or a messy global economic breakdown.
However, U.S. estrangement with China enhances India’s geopolitical value, something that India wants to capitalise on. But there is also a caution that while the Sino-American hostility may bring benefits to India, a breakdown would be catastrophic, for not just India but also the world.
Context: A women’s self-help group (SHG) model in Rajasthan’s Dholpur district has helped about 12,500 women in the western African countries of Mali and Senegal earn livelihoods, conserve environment and establish cooperative federations to take up farming, biogas production, poultry farming and goat rearing.
Women's Self-Help Group (SHG) Model in Rajasthan's Dholpur District
Origin and Scope:
SHG model initiated by Rajasthan Grameen Ajeevika Vikas Parishad (Rajeevika) in Dholpur district, Rajasthan.
Aims to empower rural women through economic activities and sustainable practices.
Expansion to Africa:
Impact in Mali and Senegal: Supported 12,500 women in Mali and Senegal.
Women engaged in farming, biogas production, poultry farming, and goat rearing.
Formation of cooperative federations for collective economic growth.
Mutual Exchange:
Training Programs: Women leaders from Mali and Senegal visited Rajasthan for training in new vocations.
Dholpur SHG members previously visited Mali and Senegal to share expertise.
Core Principles:
Rajeevika's Five Principles: Weekly meetings, savings, internal borrowing, loan repayment, and record maintenance.
Facilitated financial stability and growth of SHGs and federations.
Market Penetration:
Pancharatna Mission: Enhanced market reach for SHG products.
Rural women's exposure to agricultural technology pivotal for SHG model success.
Financial Empowerment:
Financial Practices: Savings up to ₹17 crore annually by African women.
Funds utilized for inter-loaning and emergencies, promoting self-sufficiency.
Capacity Building:
Skill Transfer: Training in SHG formation and cooperative federation establishment.
Emphasis on sustainable agricultural practices suitable for local climates.
Future Collaboration:
Continued Cooperation: Plans for ongoing collaboration between Rajasthan and African counterparts.
Focus on socio-economic development and self-governance in rural communities.
Testimonials:
Leadership Impact: African representatives impressed by Rajasthan's leadership election processes.
Commitment to implementing Rajeevika's principles and promoting entrepreneurship.
Technological Adoption:
Water Harvesting Techniques: Adoption in African countries inspired by Rajasthan's practices.
Aim to enhance agricultural productivity through innovative irrigation methods.
This SHG model exemplifies international cooperation in empowering women through sustainable livelihoods and community development initiatives.
What is SHG?
SHGs, or Self-Help Groups, are small voluntary associations of individuals, predominantly women, who come together for a common purpose. In India, SHGs have gained significant importance as a grassroots-level institution for poverty alleviation, women's empowerment, and community development. Here are some key characteristics and features of SHGs in India:
Composition: SHGs typically consist of 10 to 20 individuals who belong to a common socio-economic background and reside in the same geographical area. While women are the primary members, some SHGs also include men or are exclusively composed of men.
Voluntary Association: Participation in SHGs is based on voluntary membership, where individuals join the group willingly to address their socio-economic needs and challenges collectively.
Savings and Credit Activities: One of the primary functions of SHGs is to encourage members to save small amounts regularly. These savings are pooled together and used to provide internal loans to group members. SHGs also facilitate access to formal financial services and credit linkages from banks and microfinance institutions.
Social and Emotional Support: SHGs provide a platform for members to share experiences, seek advice, and provide social and emotional support to each other. They act as forums for discussing and addressing issues related to health, education, gender equality, and other social concerns.
Capacity Building: SHGs offer training and capacity-building programs to members, focusing on various aspects such as financial literacy, bookkeeping, entrepreneurship, skill development, and leadership. These initiatives aim to enhance members' knowledge and skills, enabling them to effectively manage their group activities and pursue livelihood opportunities.
Collective Decision Making: SHGs operate democratically, with members actively participating in decision-making processes. They engage in discussions, develop internal rules and regulations, and make collective decisions related to savings, loans, and other group activities.
Income-Generating Activities: SHGs encourage members to engage in income-generating activities to improve their livelihoods. This may include activities like handicrafts, agriculture, animal husbandry, small-scale enterprises, and entrepreneurship. SHGs often provide support in terms of skill development, market linkages, and access to credit for such activities.
Federations and Linkages: SHGs often form federations or larger networks at the village, district, or state levels to amplify their collective voice, negotiate better deals, and access additional resources and opportunities. These federations enable SHGs to undertake larger-scale initiatives and represent their collective interests.
Benefits of SHGs
Mobilizes women from rural areas: According to the estimates, about 46 million rural poor women are mobilized through SHGs architecture. These organizations have been an effective vehicle, especially in providing financial intermediation solutions for unbanked rural women.
Socio-economic benefits: It includes economic self-independence, participation in village affairs and awareness about education.
Special Focus: Under National Rural Livelihood Mission, special attention has been given to women living below poverty line (BPL). The scheme has also focused on capacity building and institutionalization of SHGs. It has also helped in social mobilization, institution building, communization and creation of human resource.
Improves the status of women in family and society: Regular process of group meetings helps women build social capital which raises their status in the family and the society. It also leads to economic empowerment which helps them take decision making role in the family. Thus help them break shackles of patriarchy.
Improves health and standard of living: A research has also shown that Women practicing ‘participatory learning and action’ showed 49 % reduction in maternal mortality and 33 % reduction in neonatal mortality.
General Issues related to SHGs
Agricultural Activities: Most of the SHGs work at local level and engaged in agricultural activities. SHGs in rural areas should be introduced to non-agricultural businesses too and should be provided with state-of-the art machinery.
Lack of Technology: Most of the SHGs work with rudimentary or no technology.
Access of market: Also the goods produced by SHGs do not have access to larger market place.
Poor Infrastructure: Most of these SHGs are situated in rural and far reach areas that lack connectivity via road or railways. Access to electricity remains an issue.
Lack of training and capacity building: Most of the SHGs work on their own without outreach from the state for skill development and capacity building.
Credit Mobilization: A study has shown that about 48% of the members had to borrow from local money lenders, relatives and neighbours because they were getting inadequate loan from groups. Also issues like hoarding of money was witnessed.
System of monitoring: The general reports on the progress of SHGs show statistics of growth and spread of SHGs without questioning the process and internal health of the SHGs.
The government, through various initiatives and programs, has recognized the potential of SHGs in promoting socio-economic development, women's empowerment, and poverty reduction. As a result, SHGs have become an integral part of many government schemes and interventions aimed at inclusive growth and sustainable development in India.
The Indian government has implemented several steps to support and assist SHGs across the country. Here are some of the key measures taken:
National Rural Livelihood Mission (NRLM): The NRLM, launched in 2011, aims to promote and strengthen SHGs in rural areas. It provides financial assistance, capacity-building training, and livelihood support to SHGs. The program also focuses on promoting federations of SHGs to enhance their collective strength.
Financial Inclusion and Microfinance: The government has encouraged financial inclusion by facilitating access to formal financial services for SHGs. The Pradhan Mantri Jan Dhan Yojana (PMJDY) scheme promotes opening bank accounts for every household and facilitates access to credit and insurance services. SHGs also receive microfinance support through schemes like the National Bank for Agriculture and Rural Development (NABARD) and Small Industries Development Bank of India (SIDBI).
Interest Subsidy and Credit Linkage: SHGs are linked with various credit schemes to provide financial support for income-generating activities. The government provides interest rate subsidies to reduce the burden on SHG members and enhance their repayment capacity. The Deendayal Antyodaya Yojana - National Rural Livelihoods Mission (DAY-NRLM) offers capitalization support and interest subvention to SHGs.
Capacity Building and Skill Development: The government focuses on capacity building and skill development of SHG members. They are provided with training programs on financial literacy, entrepreneurship, market linkages, and management skills. The programs are designed to enhance their overall capacity to manage and sustain their enterprises.
Market Linkages and Promoting Enterprises: Efforts are made to connect SHGs with markets and value chains. The government supports market linkages for SHG products through initiatives like the Rural Haat Bazaars, Marketing Assistance Scheme, and procurement programs by government agencies. SHGs are encouraged to engage in various income-generating activities such as handicrafts, agriculture, dairy, and small-scale industries.
Legal and Policy Support: The government has implemented policies and legal provisions to facilitate the functioning and empowerment of SHGs. The Companies Act, 2013, allows SHGs to register as Producer Companies, enabling them to access markets directly. The National Rural Livelihoods Promotion Society (NRLPS) provides policy and technical support to promote SHGs.
Government Schemes: SHGs are actively involved in the implementation of various government schemes at the grassroots level. They play a significant role in initiatives such as the Mahatma Gandhi National Rural Employment Guarantee Act (MGNREGA), Swachh Bharat Abhiyan, and National Rural Drinking Water Program, among others.
These steps taken by the government are aimed at strengthening SHGs, providing them with financial support, enhancing their skills, and promoting their overall development and empowerment.
Context:India has appealed against the ruling made by dispute settlement body of WTO against the Indian government decision of imposition of tariff on mobile phones and electronic components. The case was filed against India by Japan highlighting that India has violated global trading rules under the Information technology agreement (ITA).
It is to understand that resolving trade disputes is one of the core activities of the WTO.
A dispute arises when a member government believes another member government is violating an agreement or a commitment that it has made in the WTO.
GRIEVANCE REDRESSAL MECHANISM UNDER WTO
Dispute settlement is a central pillar of Multilateral Trading System and essential for stability and rule of law global economy.
Dispute Settlement Body: Settling disputes is the responsibility of Dispute Settlement Body, which consists of all WTO members. Dispute Settlement Body has sole authority to establish 'Panels' of experts to consider the case and to accept or reject the panel's findings or results of an appeal. It monitors implementation of rulings and recommendations and has power to authorize retaliation when a country does not comply with a ruling.
First Stage - Consultation: Before taking any other action, countries in dispute talk to each other to see if they can settle their differences by themselves. However, if talks fail, they can ask WTO Director-General to mediate or try to help.
Second Stage - Panel: If consultations fail, complaining countries can ask for a panel to be appointed. The country 'in the dock' can block the creation of a panel once, but when Dispute Settlement Body meets for a second time, the panel must be constituted unless there is a consensus against it. The Panel helps the Dispute Settlement Body makes rulings or recommendations. Since the panel's report can only be rejected by consensus in the Dispute Settlement Body, its conclusions are difficult to overturn. The final report of the panel is the ruling or recommendation of Dispute Settlement Body unless a consensus rejects it. Both sides can appeal the report.
Appeals to Appellate Body: Appeals must be based on points of law such as legal interpretation. Each appeal is heard by three members of a permanent seven-member Appellate Body set up by the Dispute Settlement Body and broadly representing the range of WTO membership. Members of Appellate Body have four-year terms. Members of Appellate Body are individuals with recognised standing in law and international trade, they are not affiliated with any government. An appeal can uphold, modify or reverse the panel's legal findings. Dispute Settlement Body must accept or reject the appeals report and rejection is possible only by consensus.
Enforcement of decisions: Priority for enforcement actions brings the policies of losing the country in line with the final ruling of WTO Dispute Settlement Body (DSB) and in a reasonable time. If it fails to act within a period of 30 days, the losing side must enter negotiations with the complaining country to determine a mutually acceptable solution. However, if after 20 days, no satisfactory compensation is agreed upon, the winning side may ask DSB to retaliate. Retaliation is a temporary measure, focused on encouraging the losing country to comply. Ex. Winning side can block imports from the losing country. In principle, the retaliation should be in the same sector as the dispute. However, if this is not effective or practical, it can be in a different sector of the same agreement. However, in serious issues, actions can be taken under another agreement also.
It is an interim, alternative mechanism for resolving WTO disputes that are appealed by a Member by arbitrations in the absence of a functioning and staffed WTO Appellate Body.
WTO Appellate Body has been dysfunctional since 2019 due to USA blockage of appointments of members to the Appellate Body of WTO.
Article 25 of Understanding on Rules and Procedures Governing the Settlement of Disputes allows for parties to resolve disputes in the implementation of WTO Rules by arbitration as an alternative to adjudication by panels and the Appellate Body. Under the Article, parties must agree on arbitration and procedures to be followed.
MPIA provides that the participating members will resolve disputes by using arbitrations, instead of appealing to the non-functional Appellate Body, when they are unable to accept the adoption of the panel decisions.
Countries participating: Currently, 52 countries and regions, including EU, Australia, Brazil, Canada, China, Singapore, Japan & New Zealand are prominent countries participating in MPIA.
Context: Kerala Governor Arif Mohammed Khan took exception to the State government’s move to reissue ordinances instead of getting the executive orders ratified by the Assembly.
The government had sent Mr. Khan 11 ordinances for re-promulgation. They included the controversial Kerala Lok Ayukta, 1999, amendment ordinance, and the Kerala Cooperative Societies Act, 2022, amendment ordinance.
In India, the central and state legislatures are responsible for law making, the central and state governments are responsible for the implementation of laws and the judiciary (Supreme Court, High Courts and lower courts) interprets these laws. However, there are several overlaps in the functions and powers of the three institutions. For example, the President has certain legislative and judicial functions and the legislature can delegate some of its functions to the executive in the form of subordinate legislation.
Ordinance making is one such provision which diffuses the line between legislature and executive. They enable the government to take immediate legislative action in desperate times. Article 123 of the Indian Constitution grants the President of India certain Law making powers i.e. to Promulgate Ordinances when either of the two Houses of the Parliament is not in session which makes it impossible for a single House to pass and enact a law. Ordinances may relate to any subject that the parliament has the power to make law, and would be having the same limitations.
But executive (Both central and state) have often misused this power. Nothing epitomises the re-promulgation of the ordinances better than the famous “Bihar case”. Which was about the promulgation of 256 ordinances between 1967 and 1981 in Bihar. This included 11 ordinances that were kept alive for more than 10 years and famously dubbed as ordinance raj.
So instances like these clearly indicate the misuse of legislative powers by the executive which were meant to be used only rarely and under limited circumstances. So in this regard we will understand the following:
Article 123 and Article 213 confers power to promulgate ordinance on the President and the Governor respectively.
Under the Constitution, limitations exist with regard to the Ordinance making power of the executive:
Legislature is not in session: The President can only promulgate an Ordinance when either of the two Houses of Parliament is not in session.
Immediate action is required: The President cannot promulgate an Ordinance unless he is satisfied that there are circumstances that require taking ‘immediate action’.
Parliamentary approval during session: Ordinances must be approved by Parliament within six weeks of reassembling or they shall cease to operate. They will also cease to operate in case resolutions disapproving the Ordinance are passed by both the Houses.
Why frequent resorting to Ordinance Route?
Reluctance to face the legislature on particular issues.
Lack of majority in the Parliament.
Repeated and wilful disruption by opposition parties.
Issues
The executive’s power to issue ordinances, goes against the Philosophy of Separation of powers between the Legislature, Executive and Judiciary
It bypasses the democratic requirements of argument and deliberation.
Re-promulgation defeats the constitutional scheme under which a limited power to frame ordinances has been conferred on the President and the Governors.
It poses threat to the sovereignty of Parliament and the state legislatures which have been constituted as primary lawgivers under the Constitution. The Constitution has provided for Separation of Power where enacting laws is the function of the legislature. The executive must show self-restraint and should use ordinance making power only as per the spirit of the Constitution and not to evade legislative scrutiny and debates
Important Cases related to Ordinance
RC Cooper vs. Union of India, 1970: SC held that the President’s decision could be challenged on the grounds that ‘immediate action’ was not required; and the Ordinance had been passed primarily to by-pass debate and discussion in the legislature.
AK Roy vs. Union of India, 1982: SC argued that the President’s Ordinance making power is not beyond the scope of judicial review. Later in case of Venkata Reddy v. State of Andhra Pradesh (1985) Supreme court over ruled its own decision and held that the Satisfaction of the President cannot be called in question.
DC Wadhwa vs. State of Bihar, 1987: SC said that the legislative power of the executive to promulgate Ordinances is to be used in exceptional circumstances and not as a substitute for the law making power. It was examining a case where a state government repromulgated a total of 259 Ordinances and some of them for as long as 14 years.
Krishna Kumar Singh vs. State of Bihar, 2017: Supreme Court held that the failure to place an ordinance before the legislature constitutes abuse of power and a fraud on the Constitution. It makes mandatory for an ordinance to be tabled in the legislature for its approval.
Way forward
In Nagraj Judgment, SC has observed “The power to issue an ordinance is not an executive power but it’s the power of the executive to legislate on the grounds provided for in article 123”.
