Daily Prelims Notes 27 April 2022
- April 27, 2022
- Posted by: OptimizeIAS Team
- Category: DPN
Daily Prelims Notes
27 April 2022
Table Of Contents
- UN approves measure requiring states to justify veto
- Goan politician accorded Lifetime Rank of Cabinet Minister
- Sri Narayan Guru
- Mission Antyodaya
- The Agreement on Safeguards
- Edible oil
- How ethanol can save sugarcane farmers
- PM CARES Fund
- Integrated Command and Control Centers (ICCCs)
- Public trust doctrine
1. UN approves measure requiring states to justify veto
Subject: IR
Section: UN
Context- The UN General Assembly adopted by consensus a resolution requiring the five permanent members of the Security Council to justify their use of the veto.
Concept-
- United States, China, Russia, France and the UK are the five members with veto power.
- The measure is intended to make veto-holders more accountable while exercising their power.
Key highlights of the resolution:
- The resolution was titled – ‘Standing mandate for a General Assembly debate when a veto is cast in the Security Council’.
- The measure provides for the General Assembly to be convened within 10 working days after a veto “to hold a debate on the situation as to which the veto was cast”.
- The assembly is not required to take or consider any action, but the discussion could put veto-wielders on the spot and let other countries be heard.
Advantages:
- The application of this resolution will shed light on the use of the veto and on the blockages within the Security Council.
- The measure is intended to make veto-holders pay a higher political price, when they use the veto to strike down a Security Council resolution.
Criticism:
- Possible misuse:
- It is highly likely that countries could propose controversial texts they know their rivals will veto only to force them to justify their stance publicly.
- If this happens, the move will divide the UN even further.
- Directed against Russia:
- Many analysts feel that it is directed against Russia.
- This is due to the fact that the proposal’s revival came as the Security Council has proven incapable of condemning Russia’s invasion of Ukraine because of Moscow’s veto power.
- Non-binding nature
- The text is non-binding and nothing prevents a country that has used its veto from declining to explain its actions to the General Assembly.
- Piecemeal reform
- Critics have termed this as a piecemeal reform.
- UNSC at present requires a reform to address the concerns for developing countries like India and Brazil.
- There is widespread support for revamping the UN’s most powerful organ to reflect current global realities.
What is the Veto Power at the UN?
- The UN Security Council veto power is the power of the five permanent members of the UN Security Council to veto any “substantive” resolution.
- They also happen to be the nuclear-weapon states (NWS) under the terms of the Treaty on the Non-Proliferation of Nuclear Weapons (NPT).
- However, a permanent member’s abstention or absence does not prevent a draft resolution from being adopted.
- This veto power does not apply to “procedural” votes, as determined by the permanent members themselves.
- A permanent member can also block the selection of a Secretary-General, although a formal veto is unnecessary since the vote is taken behind closed doors.
Issues with Veto Power:
- The veto power is controversial.
- Supporters regard it as a promoter of international stability, a check against military interventions, and a critical safeguard against US domination.
- Critics say that the veto is the most undemocratic element of the UN, as well as the main cause of inaction on war crimes and crimes against humanity.
United Nations Security Council:
- The UNSC is one of the six principal organs of the United Nations and is charged with the maintenance of international peace and security.
- Its powers include the establishment of peacekeeping operations, the establishment of international sanctions, and the authorization of military action through Security Council resolutions.
- It is the only UN body with the authority to issue binding resolutions to member states.
- The Security Council consists of fifteen members. Russia, the United Kingdom, France, China, and the United States—serve as the body’s five permanent members.
- These permanent members can veto any substantive Security Council resolution, including those on the admission of new member states or candidates for Secretary-General.
- The Security Council also has 10 non-permanent members, elected on a regional basis to serve two-year terms. The body’s presidency rotates monthly among its members.
2. Goan politician accorded Lifetime Rank of Cabinet Minister
Subject: Polity
Section: Executive
Context- Recently a politician in Goa was accorded the lifetime status of the rank of Cabinet Minister who was, a six-time Chief Minister of Goa and a legislator for a full 50 years. Hence a PIL has been filed in the High Court of Bombay at Goa.
Concept-
What is the “Lifetime Status of the rank of Cabinet minister”?
- The former Chief Minister and former Speaker (of the Goa Legislative Assembly) had completed 50 years as a legislator.
- The Cabinet decided that in future also, those who complete 50 years and hold posts like CM and Speaker will be given the Cabinet status even after their retirement.
What is the PIL against this designation?
- The PIL has urged the High Court to quash the notification of the government under which the person was conferred with the “lifetime status”.
- It has contended that Goa has a 12-member Cabinet, and the conferment of Cabinet status results in the number of Cabinet ranks rising to 13, which exceeds the ceiling mandated by the Constitution.
- This ceiling was mandated by the 91st Amendment which aimed to prevent jumbo Cabinets and the resultant drain on the public exchequer.
How the 91st Amendment Act does relates here?
- The Constitution (91st Amendment) Act, 2003 inserted clause 1A in Article 164.
- It says the total number of Ministers, including the Chief Minister, in the Council of Ministers in a State shall not exceed 15% of the total number of members of the Legislative Assembly of that State.
- It provided a condition that the number of Ministers, including the Chief Minister in a State shall not be less than twelve.
- There are 40 seats in the unicameral Goa Assembly.
Why is the designation problematic?
- A cabinet minister for life would be entitled to 12 staff members – OSDs, support staff, peons, driver – which would cost the exchequer Rs 90 lakh a year.
- The ‘Cabinet’ rank would also entitle him to government accommodation, vehicle and unlimited free travel for him and his spouse.
- This is just none other case but political self-appeasement.
91st Constitutional Amendment Act, 2003
- It made the provisions to limit the size of Council of Ministers, to debar defectors from holding public offices, and to strengthen the anti-defection law.
- The total number of ministers, including the Prime Minister, in the Central Council of Ministers shall not exceed 15% of the total strength of the Lok Sabha.
- A member of either house of Parliament belonging to any political party who is disqualified on the ground of defection shall also be disqualified to be appointed as a minister.
- The total number of ministers, including the Chief Minister, in the Council of Ministers in a state shall not exceed 15% of the total strength of the legislative Assembly of that state.
- But, the number of ministers, including the Chief Minister, in a state shall not be less than 12.
- A member of either House of a state legislature belonging to any political party who is disqualified on the ground of defection shall also be disqualified to be appointed as a minister.
- The provision of the Tenth Schedule (anti-defection law) pertaining to exemption from disqualification in case of split by one-third members of legislature party has been deleted.
- It means that the defectors have no more protection on grounds of splits.
Subject: Modern India
Section: Social reform
Context- PM participates in the inaugural ceremony of year-long joint celebrations of 90th anniversary of Sivagiri Pilgrimage and Golden Jubilee of Brahma Vidhyalaya
Concept-
- Both Sivagiri Pilgrimage and Brahma Vidhyalaya were started with the blessing and guidance of great social reformer Shri Narayana Guru.
- The joint celebration symbolizes the immortal journey of that idea of India, which keeps moving forward through different mediums in different periods.
About Sri Narayana Guru:
- Shree Narayana Guru (1856–1928), also known as Shree Narayana Guru Swami, was a saint & social reformer of India.
- The Guru was born into an Ezhava family, in an era when people from backward communities like the Ezhavas faced social injustice in the caste-ridden Kerala society.
- Gurudevan, as he was known among his followers, led Reform movement in Kerala, revolted against caste system and worked on propagating new values of freedom in spirituality and social equality which transformed the Kerala society.
- He also gave the universal message, “One caste, one religion, one God.”
- Aravipuram Movement was launched by Sri Narayana Guru on Shivaratri day of 1888.
- On that day, Sri Narayana Guru defied the religious restrictions traditionally placed on the Ezhava community, and consecrated an idol of Shiva at Aravipuram.
- This drew the famous poet KumaranAsan as a disciple of Narayana Guru.
- In 1913, he founded the Advaita Ashram at Aluva. This was an important event in his spiritual quest. This Ashram was dedicated to a great principle – OmSahodaryamSarvatra (all men are equal in the eyes of God).
Subject: Governance
Section: Scheme
Context- Given the right momentum, the ‘Mission Antyodaya’ project of the Government of India launched in 2017-18 bears great promise to revive the objectives of these great democratic reforms.
Concept-
About Mission Antyodaya:
- The ‘Mission Antyodaya’ project was launched by the Government of India in 2017-18.
- The Ministry of Panchayati Raj and the Ministry of Rural Development act as the nodal agents to take the mission forward.
- The main objective of ‘Mission Antyodaya’ is to ensure optimum use of resources through the convergence of various schemes that address multiple deprivations of poverty, making gram panchayat the hub of a development plan.
- Annual survey:
- This planning process is supported by an annual survey that helps to assess the various development gaps at the gram panchayat level, by collecting data regarding the 29 subjects assigned to panchayats by the Eleventh Schedule of the Constitution.
- Also, data regarding health and nutrition, social security, good governance, water management and so on are also collected.
- The idea of the Ministry of Panchayati Raj to identify the gaps in basic needs at the local level, and integrating resources of various schemes, self-help groups, voluntary organisations and so on to finance them needs coordination and capacity-building of a high order.
- If pursued in a genuine manner, this can foster economic development and inter-jurisdictional equity.
Infrastructural gaps as pointed out by the Mission Antyodaya Survey
- The ‘Mission Antyodaya’ survey in 2019-20 for the first time collected data that shed light on the infrastructural gaps from 2.67 lakh gram panchayats, comprising 6.48 lakh villages with 1.03 billion population.
- The maximum score values assigned will add up to 100 and are presented in class intervals of 10.
- While no State in India falls in the top score bracket of 90 to 100, 1,484 gram panchayats fall in the bottom bracket.
- Even in the score range of 80 to 90, 10 States and all Union Territories do not appear.
- The total number of gram panchayats for all the 18 States that have reported adds up only to 260, constituting only 0.10% of the total 2,67,466 gram panchayats in the country.
- If we consider a score range of 70-80 as a respectable attainment level, Kerala tops but accounts for only 34.69% of gram panchayats of the State, the corresponding all-India average is as low as 1.09%.
- The composite index data, a sort of surrogate for human development, are also not encouraging.
- Although only 15 gram panchayats in the country fall in the bottom range below 10 scores, more than a fifth of gram panchayats in India are below the 40 range.
- The gap report and the composite index show in unmistakable terms that building ‘economic development and social justice’ remains a distant goal even after 30 years of the decentralisation reforms and nearly 75 years into Independence.
Conclusion:
- Converge resources:
- Given the ‘saturation approach’ (100% targets on select items) of the Ministry of Panchayati Raj, the possibilities of realising universal primary health care, literacy, drinking water supply and the like are also immense.
- But there is no serious effort to converge resources (the Mahatma Gandhi National Rural Employment Guarantee Act, the National Rural Livelihood Mission, National Social Assistance Programme, Pradhan Mantri Awas Yojana, etc.) and save administrative expenses.
- Deploy the data to India’s fiscal federalism: Another lapse is the failure to deploy the data to India’s fiscal federalism, particularly to improve the transfer system and horizontal equity in the delivery of public goods in India at the sub-State level.
- The constitutional goal of planning and implementing economic development and social justice can be achieved only through strong policy interventions.
Provisions for Antyodaya under Indian Constitution:
- The Indian Constitution mandates local governments to prepare and implement plans for ‘economic development and social justice’ (Articles 243G and 243W).
- Several complementary institutions and measures such as the gram sabha to facilitate people’s participation,
- the District Planning committee (DPC) to prepare bottom up and spatial development plans,
- the State Finance Commission (SFC) to ensure vertical and horizontal equity,
- one- third reservation for women (in most States, now 50%),
- population-based representation to Scheduled Caste/Scheduled Tribe communities, and so on were introduced to promote this goal.
5. The Agreement on Safeguards
Subject: Economy
Section: External Sector
Context:
India, together with South Korea, China, Japan, Switzerland, Brazil and Turkey, has called for withdrawal of safeguard duties on steel imports imposed by the EU arguing that it was no longer appropriate since the bloc’s imports had already declined.
Concept:
The EU’s safeguard duties- tariff rate quotas (TRQs) on steel imports beyond which the items attract additional import duties of 25 per cent, were introduced in 2018 and extended last year till June 2024,in reaction to the US decision to impose additional unilateral duties on steel, citing security concerns, from India, South Korea, Japan, China, Russia and Turkey.
The EU’s logic was that the TRQs would help avoid diversion of exports from the US to the EU market.
The Agreement on Safeguards (“SG Agreement”) sets forth the rules for application of safeguard measures in the Article XIX of GATT 1994. Safeguard measures are defined as “emergency” actions with respect to increased imports of particular products, where such imports have caused or threaten to cause serious injury to the importing Member’s domestic industry.
Such measures, which in broad terms take the form of suspension of concessions or obligations, can consist of quantitative import restrictions or of duty increases to higher than bound rates. It is one of three types of contingent trade protection measures, along with anti-dumping and countervailing measures, available to WTO Members.
Criteria:
- such measures must be temporary;
- they may be imposed only when imports are found to cause or threaten serious injury to a competing domestic industry;
- they be applied on a non-selective (i.e., most-favoured-nation, or “MFN”, basis);
- they be progressively liberalized while in effect;
- the Member imposing them must pay compensation to the Members whose trade is affected.
Thus, safeguard measures, unlike anti-dumping and countervailing measures, do not require a finding of an “unfair” practice, (generally) must be applied on an MFN basis.
Components:
It has four main components:
- general provisions (Articles 1 and 2)
- rules governing Members’ application of new safeguard measures (i.e., those applied after entry into force of WTO Agreement (Articles 3-9))
- rules pertaining to pre-existing measures that were applied before the WTO entry into force (Articles 10 and 11)
- multilateral obligations and institutions regarding application of safeguard measures (Articles 12-14)
A safeguard measures may be applied when:
- there are increased imports – the increased quantity of imports may be either an absolute increase or an increase relative to domestic production.
- There is serious injury or a threat of serious injury
‘Serious injury’ is defined as a significant overall impairment in the position of a domestic industry. In determining whether serious injury is present, investigating authorities must evaluate all relevant factors having a bearing on the condition of the industry, including the absolute and relative rate and amount of increase in imports, the market share taken by the increased imports, as well as changes in level of sales, production, productivity, capacity, utilization, profit and losses, and employment of the domestic industry. |
- ‘Threat of serious injury’ means a clear and imminent danger of serious injury.
- There must be objective evidence of the existence of a causal link between increased imports of the products concerned and serious injury. Injury caused to the domestic industry at the same time by factors other than increased imports must not be attributed to increased imports to the domestic industry.
Subject: Economy
Section External Sector
Context:
A ban on crude palm oil could have impacted India much more as India meets 85% of its requirement of crude palm oil via imports, and the bulk of the imports are from Indonesia and Malaysia.
Details:
- India’s vegetable oil economy is the world’s fourth largest after the USA, China & Brazil and the largest edible oil importer.
- India imports more than 55% of its edible oil consumption annually either in crude or refined form.
- Malaysia and Indonesia account for more than 90% of the total palm oil trade.
- Crude palm and soybean oil are imported from mainly Malaysia, Indonesia, Argentina and Brazil; these items had shares of 62% and 21% in the total edible oil imports respectively.
- It depends on Ukraine for sunflower oil, which had a 14% share in the total edible oil import basket in 2020-21.
Concept:
National Mission on Edible Oils – Oil Palm (NMEO-OP):
- A centrally sponsored scheme to achieve self-sufficiency in edible oil production.
- Aims and Objectives of the scheme:
- Achieve self-reliance in edible oil.
- Harness domestic edible oil prices that are dictated by expensive palm oil imports.
- To raise the domestic production of palm oil by three times to 11 lakh MT by 2025-26.
- Key features of the scheme:
- The special emphasis of the scheme will be in India’s north-eastern states and the Andaman and Nicobar Islands due to the conducive weather conditions in the regions.
- Under the scheme, oil palm farmers will be provided financial assistance and will get remuneration under a price and viability formula.
Status of edible oil:
- Palm oil-According to data from the United States Department of Agriculture, nearly 85% of palm oil is produced in just two countries – Indonesia and Malaysia. In 2019, Indonesia produced 42.5 million tons, 58% of global production, while 19 million tons came from Malaysia – 26% of the global supply. Other major palm oil producers include Thailand, Colombia and Nigeria.
- Soybean Oil- China>USA>Brazil>Argentina>EU
- Sunflower oil-world production of sunflower oil is around more than 18 million tonnes, led by Ukraine and Russia– as the leading producers accounting together for 53% of the world total.
7. How ethanol can save sugarcane farmers
Subject: Economy
Section: External Sector
Context- The diversion of sugarcane to ethanol production could be a win win for both farmers as well as for the energy security of the country.
Concept-
- This season’s drought in Brazil affected sugar production and hence Indian sugar is in demand.
- But this situation will not remain the same next year and millers will have to pay farmers the full price of the cane, even if prices come down in the market.
- The sugar industry will collapse if the same amount of sugar cane and sugaris produced next year.
- The government insists that only ethanol can save the sugarcane industry and farmers.
Contribution of States:
- UP, Maharashtra and Karnataka contribute 75-80 percent of sugarcane in the country.
Ethanol requirement:
- The government has launched the EBP Programme, wherein, Oil Marketing Companies (OMCs) sell petrol blended with ethanol up to 10 per cent.
- Of the total existing ethanol production capacity of 834.7 crore litres in India, two largest sugarcane producing States, Uttar Pradesh and Maharashtra account for 50 per cent capacity.
- Under the Ethanol Blended Petrol (EBP) programme, these States have achieved blending of about 22 percent of the total ethanol supply of 113.2 crore litre in 2021-22.
- According to the government, due to several supplies and demand side interventions since 2014, ethanol blending quantity has improved from 38 crore litre in Ethanol Supply Year 2013-14 to 302.3 crore litre in ESY 2020-21.
- The average ethanol blending percentage has also increased from 1.53 per cent to 8.1 per cent in the corresponding period.
- US, Brazil and Thailand have flexi fuel vehicles. In Brazil, petrol: ethanol ratio is 53:47. In some States, the ratio is even 35:65.
Major supplier:
- The NITI Aayog report on ethanol blending has estimated an ethanol demand of 1,016 crore litres in India based on expected vehicle growth.
- The sugar industry could be a major player in ethanol supply.
- According to the Indian Sugar Mills Association (ISMA), if India is a structural surplus sugar producer, it needs to export regularly.
- High cane prices make Indian sugar manufacturers uncompetitive and dependent on government subsidies for exports.
- With export subsidies not possible after 2023 (as per WTO), Indian mills will have to deal with a formidable problem.
- ISMA says that higher sugar production is due to significantly higher yields per hectare as also higher recovery.
- The area under sugarcane has not seen any significant increase in the last few years.
- The higher yields and recoveries are due to better seed varieties and timely application of fertilisers and water, including good rainfall last year.
- Diversion of surplus sugar into ethanol will improve liquidity and checks the fall in sugar price.
Subject: Polity
Section: Constitution
Context: PM CARES Fund cannot contract out of the Constitution, Delhi HC
Background:
- In 2021, the Delhi High Court was informed that the PM CARES Fund is not a Government of India fund and that the amount collected by it does not go to the Consolidated Fund of India.
- Petition was filed seeking the PM-CARES fund to be declared as the “State” under Article 12 of the Constitution.
- Now Delhi HC says, ‘Cosy arrangements’ cannot be allowed under the law and the PM CARES Fund must either submit to the rigours of the Constitution or not publicise itself as “State”
About PM CARES Fund
- Prime Minister’s Citizen Assistance and Relief in Emergency Situations Fund (PM CARES Fund) was created on 27 March 2020, following the COVID pandemic.
- The stated purpose of the fund is for combating, and containment and relief efforts against the coronavirus outbreak and similar pandemic like situations in the future.
- Prime Minister is the ex-officio Chairman of the PM CARES Fund and Minister of Defence, Minister of Home Affairs and Minister of Finance, Government of India are ex-officio Trustees of the Fund.
- The fund receives voluntary contributions from individuals and organisations and does not get any budgetary support.
- Donations have been made tax exempt, and can be counted against a company’s corporate social responsibility (CSR)
- It is also exempt from the Foreign Contribution (Regulation) Act, 2010, and accepts foreign contributions, although the Centre has previously refused foreign aid to deal with disasters such as the Kerala floods.
- PM-CARES Fund not subject to CAG audit
- PM CARES Fund’s trust deed is not available for public scrutiny.
9. Integrated Command and Control Centers (ICCCs)
Subject: Polity
Section: Governance
Context:
Recently, the Ministry of Housing and Urban Affairs has announced that all 100 smart cities will have Integrated Command and Control Centers (ICCCs), under Smart Cities Mission (SCM).
Content:
The Integrated Command and Control Centers are envisaged to be the brain for city operation, exception handling, and disaster management.
The sensors and edge devices will capture and generate real time data from various utilities such as water, waste management, energy, mobility, the built environment, education, healthcare and safety.
ICCC as a platform through its different layers and components will act as a decision support system (DSS) for city administration to respond to the real time events by consuming data feeds from different data sources and by processing information out of the data sets
ICCC has five basic pillars:
- Bandwidth
- sensors and edge devices which record and generate real-time data
- various analytics which are software that draw on data captured by end devices to generate “intelligence”
- data storage
- the ICCC software which may be described as, in MoHUA’swords, “a system of systems” — the anchor for all other application specific components and has been described as the “brain and nervous system” of the city
Smart City Mission:
- Smart Cities Mission was launched by the Hon’ Prime Minister on 25 June, 2015.
- The main objective of the Mission is to promote cities that provide core infrastructure, clean and sustainable environment and give a decent quality of life to their citizens through the application of ‘smart solutions’.
- It is under the Ministry of Housing and Urban Affairs.
- The Mission is operated as a Centrally Sponsored Scheme.
- Central Government will give financial support to the extent of Rs. 48,000 crores over 5 years i.e. on an average Rs.100 crore per city per year.
- An equal amount on a matching basis is to be provided by the State/ULB.
- Additional resources are to be raised through convergence, from ULBs’ own funds, grants under Finance Commission, innovative finance mechanisms such as Municipal Bonds, other government programs and borrowings.
- Emphasis has been given on the participation of private sector through Public Private Partnerships (PPP)
- There is no standard definition or template of a smart city.
In the context of our country, the six fundamental principles on which the concept of Smart Cities is based are:
- Strategy:
- Pan-city initiative in which at least one Smart Solution is applied city-wide.
- Develop areas step-by-step with the help of these three models:
- Retrofitting
- Redevelopment
- Greenfield
Subject : Polity
Section : Constitution
Context: Recently SC used public trust doctrine
Concept:
The public trust doctrine is a principle that clearly says that certain resources are for the public and the government is responsible to protect it. According to the Doctrine of trust, the State is the trustee of all national resources which are naturally meant for public use and delight.