The HINDU editorial notes for UPSC
February 24,2020
1) Keep up the pressure , Holding Pakistan accountable for Terrorism
- The 39 member FATF group involving India in its latest plenary has extended Pakistan's deadline to June 2020 to complete the 27 point action plan on terrorism .
- Currently positioned in grey list , Pakistan faces difficulties in accessing funds from international economic institution such as IMF,WB
- If adequate measures are not done to tighten security & to funding loopholes which designated terror groups like (Taliban ,LeT ) exploit ,then Pakistan can be put in blacklist
- At present Iran and North Korea are in blacklist category
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- FATF has also called on Pakistan to begin prosecution against terrorist and sanction entities found violating UNSC rules for designated terrorist organizations.
- Pakistan has been evading the process of blacklisting due to FATF consensus framework whereby a veto from any of Pakistan's allies Turkey ,China and Malaysia can drop the resolution.
- Similarly Pakistan has prudently used its intermediary role in US Taliban talks to its leverage and has influenced US in FATF.
- Hence it is time for India to raise this issue with US in upcoming President Trump's visit to ensure that Pakistan is held accountable for sponsoring terrorism
2) Youth can be a clever advantage for India
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- This article discusses the importance of utilizing the demographic opportunity by designing suitable policies and programs
- A demographic dividend happens when economically productive working age population outstrips non working age popultaion.
- In India demographic dividend is believed to have commenced around 2005 and it will be available for next five decades but there are two caveats
- Firstly,Demographic differences across different states vary significantly,By 2031 working age population in eleven of 22 major states would have declined,While Bihar will be having ripe workforce.Hence demographic dividend will be available at different times for different states.
- Secondly,Harnessing the demographic dividend will depend on the employability ,skill levels of the workforce.Past experience of East Asian economies teach us that by harnessing the demographic dividend with suitable imparting of skills and quality education , a nation can reap rich dividends.
- Reports from UNICEF 2019 and NFHS(2015-16) tells us that Indian education scenario lacks quality wise and skill wise and is in dire need of updation
- The examples of Delhi model education system proves us that Public school with adequate focus for equity and quality can yield a knowledge society faster than private schools
- Post school training programs and vocational training needs to be provided ,the Online tech portals such as MOOCs can be used effectively in this regard.
- Although female literacy has improved over the years their employment potential is unused ,an enovironment of gender parity and gender sensitive for women entering workforce will result in immediate benefits.
- Growing population especially elderly population necessiates the need for better healthcare,With the rural economy in distress (NSSO75 -2018)many people are forced to rely on existing public PHCs ,hence the government must allocate more on the primary healthcare and should desist privatisation of existing insurance and healthcare
- Thus appropriate public policies are needed to see the demographic dividend translates into boon for India
To read complete source article ,click here
Read more on India's demographic dividend FAQs for UPSC, here
3) Limits of Funding : On R&D sector
- This article talks about the status of public & private sector contribution in R&D funding.
- The founders of modern India emphasized the importance of science and attached greater importance to futuristic R&D such as atomic energy,space rather than industrial technologies.
- Thus Public funded research has always been encouraged while private players have rarely been incentivized to develop their own Intellectual Property.
- Lately the situation is changing and private sector is beginning to contribute to R&D,In 2008 private expenditure to total expenditure in R&D accounted for 28% it has risen to 40 % in 2016-17.
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- Even then India spends meager amount on R&D in comparison to when US and China had same economic levels.
- This has prompted the DST to plan a fund of 40 crore to match the private sector in R&D works carried out across various tertiary institutions of India.
- Schemes such as Startup India,Make in India envisioned to attract private investment in Indian projects has not resulted in robust domestic IP creation.
- The risk aversive nature of private players and singular focus and limited funding from Govt has plagued the Indian R&D sector for decades
- These problems could be effectively overcome by increasing collaboration between govt and private firms and between various private firms and reducing restrictions with respect to IP and license fee.
To read complete source article,click here
Read more about the need for institutional autonomy,here
To read complete source article,click here
Read more about the plight of scheduled castes in Modern India,here
Read more about the need for institutional autonomy,here
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4) Battling for the downtrodden : On the need for Judiciary to uphold Dalit rights
- Supreme court in its recent ruling has mentioned that quotas and reservation for promotions in government jobs are not a fundamental right ,setting aside an Uttarkhand high court order of 2012 and that states could not be forced to make such provision without adequate data on backwardness and low representation of certain communities in public service.
- The authors cites a survey on dalit and untouchability carried out in Uttarkhand to showcase the plight of the community and believes that Uttarkhand HC is in better position to handle this issue as the State fares poorly in eliminating such social malaise.
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- The author presents an grim picture of under representation of dalits in land ownership,capital assets and basic civil rights,they occupy less wealth in proportionate to their population.
- While the Scheduled caste are underrepresented in government services they are over represented in wage labor ,poverty and malnutrition
- The GER of dalits in Higher education is 20% while that of higher caste is 43% ,consequently 50 % of dalits depend on casual wage labor for livelihood compared to 11% of higher castes
- Based on NSS data 2017-18 the difference in access to employment between Scheduled castes and high castes indicate that there exists a discrimination in hiring
- The rural farmers also face discrimination when selling their produce and buying inputs.
- The dalits who have been treated as slave caste for over 2000 years finally got emancipated as a result of british law banning slavery in 1843,yet the dalits are treated as slaves in the name of bonded labor etc
- Thus alienated and isolated from all basic amenities ,reservation as a constitutional provision provides them a chance to reclaim their fair share,but reservation alone is not enough as they are subjected to years of cruelty and hardships they need to be provided with reparation in terms of land grants and funds to compensate for traditional denial of rights
- The rational behind ensuring compensation is that the the higher castes enriched themselves at the cost of impoverishment of dalits through under payment of wages,denial of rights and slavery.
- Thus the Apex court of the country must understand the plight and historic discrimination against dalits and must act as last for oppressed dalits
Read more about the plight of scheduled castes in Modern India,here
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