Welfare Schemes , Laws and Institutions for Scheduled Castes and Scheduled Tribes

July 1, 2020July 1, 2020 by admin

Welfare Schemes , Laws and Institutions for Scheduled Castes and Scheduled Tribes

This article deals with ‘Welfare Schemes , Laws and Institutions for Scheduled Castes and Scheduled Tribes.’ This is part of our series on ‘Governance’ which is important pillar of GS-2 syllabus . For more articles , you can click here

Vulnerable Groups

Groups that experience a higher risk of poverty and social exclusion than the general population. (European Commission)

Following groups can be identified as Vulnerable Groups in India

Schedule Caste
Schedule Tribe
Religious Minorities
Differently Abled Persons
Old age people/ Senior Citizens
Orphans and Street Children
Women
Sexual Minorities

Reason why they are more vulnerable than other groups is because they lack

Economic capital in the form of material assets and income
Cultural capital such as educational qualifications and status
Social capital in the form of networks of contacts and social associations.

Scheduled Caste & Scheduled Tribe

Safeguarding Measures

1 . Constitutional Measures

1 . 1 Affirmative Action

Article 15(4)	State can make special provisions for the advancement of socially and educationally backward class of citizens including Scheduled Castes and Scheduled Tribes
Article 16(4)	Reservation in public services
Article 355	Claims of Scheduled Castes and Scheduled Tribes shall be taken into consideration in making appointments to the public services

1 . 2 Protective Measures

Article 17	Abolition of Untouchability
Article 23	Forced labour is prohibited
Article 25	State is empowered to throw open Hindu religious institutions to all classes and sections of Hindus

1 .3 Political Measures

Article 330	Reservation of seats in Lok Sabha in proportion of their population
Article 332	Reservation in Legislative Assembly
Article 243-D(1)	Reservation in Panchayat
Article 243-T(1)	Reservation in Municipality

1 . 4 Administrative rights

Schedule 5	Provisions for Scheduled Areas (for more, Click here)
Schedule 6	Provisions for Tribal Areas (for more, Click here)
Article 338	National Commission for Scheduled Castes (for more, Click here)
Article 338-A	National Commission for Scheduled Tribes (for more, Click here)

1 .5 Specifically for STs

Article 19(5)	State can impose restriction on freedom of movement or residence in the benefit of Scheduled Tribes.
Article 164	Appoint special minister for tribal welfare in the states of MP, Bihar, and Orrisa.
Schedule 5 & 6	Discussed in Polity

2. Legal Measures

2.1 Legal measures for Scheduled Castes

Protection of Civil Rights Act (PCRA), 1955 : deals with untouchability

SCs and STs (Prevention of the Atrocities) Act, 1989 :
- Prevents commission of atrocities against SC/ST by person other than SCs & STs
- It leads to establishment of special courts for speedy trial of such offence

Prohibition of Employment as Manual Scavengers and their Rehabilitation Act, 2013

2.2 Legal measures for Scheduled Tribes

SCs and STs (Prevention of the Atrocities) Act, 1989 :
Panchayats (Extension to Scheduled Areas) Act, 1996
Forest Rights Act, 2006

Constitutional Measure Analysis : Affirmative Action /Reservation

Reservation in Indian law is quota based affirmative action .

We have already dealt with Reservation and it’s indepth analysis in another chapter. For reading it, Click here.

Act Analysis : SCs and STs (Prevention of the Atrocities) Act, 1989

MEANING OF THE ATROCITIES UNDER THE ACT

The term atrocity has not been defined in law (but list of atrocities is given).

Applicable to

Act is applicable in connection with Scheduled Castes and Scheduled Tribes who are subjected to violence and brutalities by any person who is not a member of a Scheduled Castes and Scheduled Tribes.

TYPES OF ATROCITIES MENTIONED IN ACT

Atrocities under the act include (but are not limited to):

Social discrimination
Beating, lashing and other forms of torture
Arson-the burning of Scheduled Castes and Scheduled Tribes communities and their homes
Violence against women
Bonded labour
Denial of rights, especially land rights
Deny to give job or do business with person belonging to SC/ST
Police abuses against Scheduled Castes and Scheduled Tribes and custodial abuse

Imprisonment

Person will be put behind the bars at the same instant when FIR is lodged against person
No provision of Anticipatory Bail. Bail can only be granted by High Court.
Imprisonment ranging for 6 months to life imprisonment

Regarding Government Servant

If any government Servant indulge in such activity, there is provision of imprisonment of 6months to 1 year
Case can be registered against Government Servant only when he is found guilty in Investigation .

Other Provisions

Special Courts to deal with these cases
To fight the case, SC/ST is provided with financial aid and lawyer

Working of Act

There are only 194 Special courts => only 1 out of 3 district has special court
Conviction rate is very low

2018 Judgement on SC/ST (Prevention of Atrocities) Act

Supreme Court’s Judgement- SC/ST Atrocities Act 1989 is being misused (NCRB data, conviction rate is 15% ) — and checks are needed to prevent such misuse . To check the misuse, Supreme Court placed two checks

No FIR should be filed under the SC/ST Atrocities Act till it is investigated by a DSP-level officer
No FIR should be registered against government servant under SC /ST Atrocities Act without the approval of the appointing authority.
Anticipatory bail can be given on the orders of Magistrate

August 2018 : Lok Sabha has passed amendment in the Act to nullify the Judgement.

Act Analysis : Forest Rights Act,2006

Schedule Tribes and Other Forest Dwellers(Recognition of Forest Rights) Act came into force in 2006.
It has been enacted to recognize and vest the forest rights and occupation of forest land in forest dwelling Scheduled Tribes and other traditional forest dwellers, who have been residing in such forests for generations, but whose rights could not be recorded.

It guarantees following rights

Title Rights : the right in the land is granted to STs and the people who are residing there for 75 years but don’t have documents (maximum 4 hectare)
Right of use of resources. Eg : Minor Forest Produce (honey, herbs etc) , Common Property Resource etc
Relief and Developmental Rights : in case of any displacement of tribals , proper relief packages should be given
Forest Management Rights

Issues wrt Forest Right Act

Task of documenting the claims of communities is very tedious
Reluctance on the part of bureaucracy
Narrow interpretation of the law
Opposition from wildlife conservationists
Forest Rights Act is often in conflict with other laws e.g. Rights in protected areas like wildlife sanctuaries, national parks etc.

Way forward

Political will should be there
Devolution of fund, functions and functionaries
Awareness among the tribals about their rights

Particularly Vulnerable Tribal Groups (PVTG)

1973 : Dhebar Commission created Primitive Tribal Groups (PTGs) as a separate category, who are less developed among the tribal groups.
2006 : Government of India renamed it to Particularly Vulnerable Tribal Groups (PVTGs).
At present, they are 75 in number.

PVTGs have some basic characteristics

Small population.
Relatively physically isolated.
Absence of written language
Subsistence => hunting or gathering.
Zero or negative population growth.
Extremely low level of literacy.

Problems faced by them

Growth of PVTGs’ population is either stagnating or declining
Health status of PVTGs is in an awful condition because of poverty, illiteracy, lack of safe drinking water, bad sanitary conditions etc
Condition of education is also very poor, with an average literacy rate of 10% to 44% in PVTGs.

Scheme: Scheme for Development of PVTGs

It identifies 75 PVTGs as the most vulnerable among the Scheduled Tribes.
It gives state governments flexibility in planning initiatives.
Long term Conservation cum Development plan for five years for each PVTG to be established by States.
Scheme is funded entirely by Central government.

Schemes for upliftment of SCs and STs

1 . Umbrella Scheme for SCs

After rationalisation of Centrally Sponsored Schemes, all the Schemes for Scheduled Castes are taken under one Grand scheme that is Umbrella Scheme for Scheduled Castes which is Core of the Core Scheme and is 100% Centrally Sponsored

Some of the Schemes under this are

Educational Empowerment

1. Pre-Matric Scholarships to SC Students
2. Post Matric Scholarship
3. Full financial support for pursuing studies beyond 12th class, in notified institutes of excellence like IITs, NITs, IIMs, reputed Medical/Law and other institutions.
4. National Fellowship: Financial assistance to SC students for pursuing research studies
5. National Overseas Scholarship: for pursuing higher studies of Master level and PhD programmes abroad.
6. Babu Jagjivan Ram Chhatrawas Yojna

Economic Empowerment

1. Standup India
2. Venture Capital Fund for Scheduled Castes

2. Stand Up India

Every bank branch will provide
- loan from Rs 10 lakh to Rs 1 crore
- to one Dalit or Adivasi member and one woman each
- For greenfield enterprises in the non-farm sector without collateral.

3. Eklavya Schools

Budget 2018 : announced establishment of Eklavya Schools.
To be established in all Tribal blocks with more than 50% ST population
Ekalavya schools will provide boarding and lodging facilities to tribal students.
These schools will have special facilities for preserving local art and culture besides providing training in sports and skill development.

Issue of Poverty

July 1, 2020June 30, 2020 by admin

Issue of Poverty

This article deals with ‘Issue of Poverty.’ This is part of our series on ‘Governance’ which is important pillar of GS-2 syllabus . For more articles , you can click here

About Poverty

Poverty is the worst form of violence – Gandhiji

Definition of Poverty

Poverty is a socially created concept due to unequal distribution of benefits of socio-economic progress.

World Bank definition

Extreme poverty	Living on less than $ 1.25 per day
Moderate poverty	Living on less than $ 2 per day

Note – poverty is measured in Purchasing Power Parity (PPP) exchange rate & not absolute exchange rate.

Poverty Gap

(mean income among poor)- (poverty line)
It measures Depth of poverty
Also called Foster-Greer-Thorbecke (FGT) Index

Engel’s Law

When incomes rise , % age of overall income spent on food items decrease
This is evident from data too

area	Average MPCE	% food Expenditure
Urban	Rs.2399	38.5%
Rural	Rs.1278	48.6%

MPCE = Monthly per capita Expenditure

Sustainable Development Goals (SDG) & Poverty

SDG 1 : End poverty in all its forms every-where by 2030
1. SDG wants to end Global Extreme Poverty by 2030
2. By 2030 , reduce atleast by half the people living in poverty according to national definitions.
India is home to 26% of the global extreme poor. This means that the world’s ability to end extreme poverty by 2030 — hinges on India’s ability to make strong and sustained inroads in reducing poverty

Constitutional Provisions regarding Poverty

Article 39 : Adequate Livelihood
Article 21 : Right to life with dignity
Article 17 : Untouchability
Article 41 : Right to work, public assistance and education
Article 47: Nutrition and standard of living
Article 46 : Education and Economic interests of SC / STs

Causes of Poverty

1 . Economic Reason

Models of growth not conducive for poverty alleviation – India chose capital intensive model in labour intensive country which was a great fault.
Widespread reliance on agriculture(more than 60% population dependent on sector contributing 15% to GDP)
Lack of institutional formal credit leading to debt trap
Large scale inequality
MATTHEW EFFECT : The phenomenon, widely spread across advanced welfare states that middle class tend to be the main beneficiary of social benefits & services that are targeted to poor (India is trying to rectify this using Targeted Delivery of Subsidy with help of Aadhar)

2. Demographic

Rapid Population growth with inadequate growth of new job opportunities.

3. Social Cause

Caste system : subordination of low caste people by the high caste people caused poverty of the former.
Joint family system provides social security to its members. Some people take undue advantage of it. They live upon the income of others. They become idlers. Their normal routine of life consists in eating, sleeping and begetting children.
Social Customs : ruralites spend a large percentage of annual earnings on social ceremonies like marriage, death feast etc. As a result, they remain in debt and poverty.

4. Climatic Factors

Drought, Floods, Cyclones etc perpetuates poverty

5. Historical factors

like colonialism & imperialism which led to exploitation of Indian people and it’s natural resources. India’s wealth was drained to metropole Britain for two centuries.

6. Institutional Factors

Withdrawal of Government from Social Security especially after LPG Reforms
Anti poverty schemes not successfully implemented due to institutional inadequacies

Poverty Line

What is Poverty Line?

It defines a threshold income. Households earning below this threshold are considered poor.
Different countries have different methods of defining the threshold income depending on local socio-economic needs.

Different approaches to define poverty line

There are two approaches regarding this

Nutritional Approach : based on certain minimum criteria of nutrition intake
Relative Deprivation Approach : It doesn’t take into account just nutritional deficits but in comparison to the progressive section, person is not that progressed . Eg : Person earning less than 60% of country’s per capita income

Nutritional Approach is generally followed by developing countries . But now time has come that India should move from Nutritional Approach to Relative Deprivation Approach to ensure Sustainable and Equitable Development.

Poverty line in India is decided by

Earlier it was used to be determined by erstwhile Planning Commission
Now NITI Aayog decide (Commission under Arvind Panagariya made for this & gave report )
June 2016- Panagariya has suggested that
- Tendulkar Committee’s report should be accepted for poverty line estimation
- But socio-economic indicators, say, as collected by Socio-Economic Caste Census, should be used to determine entitlement for benefits

Various Committees constituted for Poverty Line Determination

1 . Lakdawala Committee

In books, we frequently come across the Poverty Line defined as 2400 calorie in Rural & 2100 calorie in Urban . This definition of Poverty Line was based on the recommendations of Lakdawala Committee.

Calorie
Rural	2400
Urban	2100

2. Tendulkar Committee

Tendulkar Committee defined Poverty Line based on per capita monthly expenditure.

Area	Monthly *Expenditure* per person (Rs.)
Rural	816
Urban	1000

While calculating , Tendulkar Committee based it’s recommendation on

Food
Health
Education
Clothing

The poverty has declined according to Tendulkar committee report

Year	%age of population below Poverty Line
2004	37.2%
2011	22%

Reduction in poverty is attributed to

Increase in employment in non agriculture sector – Construction sector absorbed the landless laborers & daily wage earners from villages
Schemes like MGNREGA, National rural livelihood mission reduced the stress during lean season, created employment opportunities during non agricultural seasons also.
India’s demographic bulge provided more working population compared to dependents (Children and elders) – More working hands, reduced unemployment
Social welfare schemes like PDS, AAY, MGNREGA, NRLM, Pension schemes and others provided safety net to the poor
Inward remittances – Large emigration of citizen to US, EU etc. and to west Asian destinations like UAE, Saudi, Qatar etc. generated huge inward remittances for India, which directly benefited dependents in India
Quality jobs in Service sector like BPO, Hospitality, Retail chain, E – commerce supply chain provided heavy wages
Rapid growth of the economy during this period except 2008 recession , provided better opportunities to come out of poverty through better employment opportunities, increased demand for services etc.

3. C Rangarajan Committee

C Rangarajan Committee defined Poverty Line based on Monthly Expenditure of family of five.

Urban poverty line (Rs)	Rs 7035 per family of five, per month
Rural poverty line (Rs)	Rs 4860 per family of five, per month

Rangarajan Committee took more things than Tendulkar Committee into it’s calculations

Food (both included this)
Clothing (both included this )
Education (both included this )
Health (both included this )
Rent (only Rangarajan)
Transportation (only Rangarajan)

Rangarajan recommends that at any given point of time,

bottom 35% rural junta always be considered poor
bottom 25% urban junta always be considered poor.

Rangarajan Committee recommended delinking of the Poverty Estimate lines from the Government Entitlement Benefits . Food Security benefits should be given in accordance with Social and Caste dimensions and not BPL.

Critique of these Poverty Lines

Experts argue that Indian way of calculating poverty is incorrect. It is simply what some call a “starvation line”. According to critics, the government has deliberately kept poverty line low. A low poverty line has enabled the government to show that millions have moved out of poverty.

India should be using some relative measure as opposed to absolute measure to define Poverty. In most of Europe, a family with a net income of less than 60% of the “median net disposable income” is counted as poor. A poverty line “relative” to the national average also gives an idea about the state of inequality.

A comparison shows that India’s poverty line is abysmally low than even African Poverty Lines. Even poverty line of Rwanda is higher than that of India . Per capita poverty line of a rural adult Rwandian in Indian terms comes out to be Rs. 900/ month, more than Rs. 816 for a person in rural India.

Other critique which PL faces is that , once decided the PL remains same for years & don’t take into account inflation. It needs to be updated every year by applying cost inflation index to keep it realistic.

Multidimensional Poverty Index : We define Poverty in very limited way by just looking to household consumption . UNDP define Poverty using Multidimensional Poverty Index which takes holistic view and consider indicators like Health , Education and Standard of Living . Need to move toward that

Two other important Committees

Saxena Committee	– For recommending Methodology of finding Rural Poor – By Rural Ministry
Hashim Committee (2012)	– For recommending Methodology to find Urban Poor (BPL) – By Urban Ministry

1 . Saxena Committee on Rural Poverty (2009)

When Tendulkar Committee Report came, Ministry of Rural development , hurriedly set up a committee known as the SAXENA COMMITTEE , in 2009 to review the methodology for inclusion of person in BPL Category to include them in government schemes

Recommendation of the Committee
- Gave famous Automatic Inclusion and Automatic Exclusion principle
- Automatic inclusion criterion for the most vulnerable sections of society (E.g. homeless people, persons with disability)
- Automatic Exclusion : Those having motor bike etc
- Percentage of people entitled to Below Poverty Line (BPL) status should be revised upwards to at least 50%.
- Apart from Automatically included, find other using scores of various deprivations .

2. Hashim Committee on Urban Poverty (2012)

To suggest methodology for inclusion of person in BPL category in Urban Areas to include them in government schemes .

Recommendations of Hashim Committee
- Automatic Exclusion
- Automatic Inclusion
- Scoring Index: remaining households will be assigned scores from 0 to 12 based on various indicators . They should be considered eligible for inclusion in the BPL List in the increasing order higher scores

Multidimensional Poverty Index

In India , we calculate poverty using Tendulkar Method based on household consumption
But UNDP takes holistic view of poverty and measures it differently
Released since 2010 .
In Multidimensional Poverty, they look into following components to measure poverty (HES)
- Health with Components like child mortality
- Education with components like years of schooling
- Standard of Living with components like Electricity, water etc

Impact of Poverty

Several issues like hunger, illness and thirst are both causes and effects of poverty. Hence , term known as poverty trap is usually used for this ie bad cycle is created not allowing people to come out of poverty.

On Society	– Poverty => homeless => social unrest => crime. – Poverty results in inequalities which can culminate into violent upheavals like Arab Spring . Various Revolutions in Arab Spring started because of the lack of jobs and high poverty levels.
On Children	– This leads children to build an antisocial behavior . Discrimination and social exclusion often push them to more aggressiveness and less self-control
Terrorism	Most of the time terrorists do come from poorer countries with high unemployment
Diseases	Diseases are very common in people living in poverty because they lack the resources to maintain a healthy living environment.
Education	– Many people living in poverty are unable to attend school from a very early age. – Obtaining a basic education could bring 171 million people out of poverty. A bad cycle is created; poverty prevents people from gaining a good education, and not obtaining an education prevents people from escaping poverty.

How can India reduce poverty

Eventhough India has grown rapidly, its growth has been less effective at reducing poverty than in some of India’s middle-income peers such as China, Vietnam, Brazil and Turkey. Following can be done in this respect

In Agricultural sector	With 4 out of every 5 of India’s poor living in rural areas, progress will need to focus on the rural poor. Using Agricultural Sector, Poverty can be removed through following initiatives 1. Value addition through food processing 2. Organic farming 3. Cooperation farming, milk cooperatives and farmer produces organization
In Manufacturing sector	Create Jobs in India via 1. Skill development 2. Make in India
In Service sector	1. Creation of quality jobs in BPO, IT, ITES for youth 2. Promotion of tourism 3. Promotion of higher job creation in E commerce, supply chain, Hospitality and construction sector
In Governance	1. Effective implementation of JAM trinity for targeting beneficiaries and ensuring Subsidies reach the poor 2. Universal health insurance to reduce out of pocket expenditure to health care

Value Addition : Capability Approach to Poverty by Amartya Sen

Capability approach is an economic theory conceived in the 1980s as an approach to welfare economics.

Traditionally
- Poverty has been defined by an individual’s level of income.
- Eg : Extreme Poverty is defined as those who live on $1.25 per day or less.
- As a result, following this approach governments center their Poverty Removal Policies on job creation, GDP growth and other economic policies

Capability Approach
- In richer countries, all are fortunate enough that they can earn good income. Does that mean , they are not poor
- Amartya Sen’s Capability approach defines Poverty in Holistic Way. A better approach is to see poverty as deprivation of a person’s capabilities to live the life they value

Issue of Hunger

July 1, 2020June 30, 2020 by admin

Issue of Hunger

This article deals with ‘Issue of Hunger.’ This is part of our series on ‘Governance’ which is important pillar of GS-2 syllabus . For more articles , you can click here

What is Food Security ?

It means , all people have physical, social and economic access to sufficient, safe and nutritious food at all time.

It has three aspects wrt access

Physical	There should be presence of food
Social	Caste aspect and gender aspect 1. Dalits aren’t given food or given food on ground 2. Male child given nutritious food than girl child
Economic	People should have money to buy food

Malnutrition

It is physiological condition due to unbalanced macro and micro nutrients manifested in form of
- Wasting ie weight:height ratio is less
- Stunting ie Height is lower wrt age
- Underweight ie Weight is lower wrt age
- Anaemia – Red Blood Cells reduces

Malnutrition at early stages reduces intelligence and affects the formation of cognitive and non-cognitive skills that affect the long term wellbeing.
Cost of malnutrition is high both for individuals and nations

Sustainable Development Goal (SDG) and Hunger

Two goals are associated with this ie SDG 2 and SDG 12

SDG 2 aims to End hunger, achieve food security and improved nutrition and promote sustainable agriculture

SDG 12 aims to Ensure sustainable consumption and production patterns.

We have to keep in mind that, on one hand humanity faces issue of hunger and on other hand , large amount of food is simply wasted due to wrong practices. It has been estimated that :-

1/3rd food produced in world gets rotten due to poor transport, storage, processing
By 2050, 3 planets are required to sustain human lifestyle

IFPRI Global Hunger Index

Status of India (2019)
- Rank = 102 out of 117 countries (In 2014 – it was 55)
- India has highest number of hungry people in the world
But they have also appreciated MGNREGA, NRHM & ICDS programmes of the government and recognised their role in reducing hunger but even after that , absolute number is very high

Hidden Hunger

2014 Report of IFPRI also spoke about HIDDEN HUNGER
If you are giving just Carbohydrates in diet to person, he willn’t die . But this isn’t enough for overall development of human body. Vitamins and other micro-nutrients are equally necessary
If person doesn’t get proper micro-nutrients in his diet, his hidden hunger will remain
More than 50% women & children in India suffer from Anaemia
To fight hidden hunger – give
- iodized salt,
- fortified flour,
- bio fortification of crops ,
- PDS Reforms,
- Education

Cause of Malnutrition

Green revolution phase saw new, fast growing varieties of staples especially wheat and rice, the following decades saw a steady decline in the food basket diversity, especially of traditional grains such as bajra, millet which have nutritional value.

Micronutrient Deficiencies / Hangover of Green Revolution : Green Revolution phase saw new, fast-growing varieties of staples, especially wheat and rice, the following decades saw a steady decline in the food basket diversity, especially of traditional grains such as bajra and millet, which have high nutritional value. Indians suffer deficiencies in vitamins and minerals- iron, vitamin A, zinc and iodine due to faulty diet

Breastfeeding practices : Lack of improvement in infant and young child feeding practices are also responsible for poor status of nutrition.

Poor sanitation : About half of Indians defecate outside without using toilets and from here children pick up parasites and chronic infection that impair the ability of the intestines to absorb nutrition.

Problem with Public Distribution System
- Leakages in PDS : In 2012, 46% of total grains released through PDS leaked
- Wastage : 62,000 tonnes of wheat & rice damaged in Food Corporation of India godowns

Social Causes : Women in household and girlchild don’t get proper food (compared to other members)

Implications of Hunger

Hunger leads to unending cycle of hunger for future generations as well

What India is doing to fight Hunger / Malnutrition

Mid Day Meals in School
POSHAN Scheme (refer below)
MGNREGA – Increased income of poors
National Food Security Act and PDS System
Integrated Child Development Program (ICDP)
Initiatives such as India Food Banking Network (IFBN), are promoting the concept of collaborative consumption with support from the private sector and civil society organisations.
National Iron Plus Initiative and Vitamin A supplements
Guidelines on Infant and Young Child Feeding – Recommending exclusive breastfeeding for the first six months of life
Anganwadi worker and ASHAs Worker working towards this especially in rural areas .

POSHAN Scheme

POSHAN = PM’s Overarching Scheme for Holistic Nourishment Abhiyaan
Aims : ensure holistic development and adequate nutrition for pregnant women, mothers and children.
Seeks to reduce the level of stunting, undernutrition and low birth weight by 2% each
Union government had signed a loan deal worth $200 million with the World Bank for the POSHAN Abhiyaan.

Public Distribution System (PDS)

Indian government gives subsidized food grains to it’s population thorugh

When Introduced	When PDS was introduced it was universal scheme
Targeted PDS	In 1997 : Targeted PDS was introduced (Not given to all but on the basis of some criteria)
National Food Security Act (NFSA)	– Criteria => Socio Economic Caste Census (SECC) will be used – Food grains will be given to 67% population

National Food Security Act (NFSA)

We will study National Food Security Act with detail as this system is presently used in India for Public food distribution at subsidized rates. Under the act,

Central Government procures , store and then supply it to states
State Government identifies the beneficiaries using Socio Economic Caste Census (SECC) in a way that it cover 67% of population and then distribute cereals /allowance to them.

Entitlements under NFSA

What	Following things are given at mentioned rates 1. Rice at ₹3/kg 2. Wheat at ₹2/ kg 3. Coarse Grain at ₹1/kg
To whom	1. Antyodaya Family is given 35kg/Family/ month 2. Priority Households are given 5kg/person/month (max : 5 person) 3. ₹6000 is given to pregnant women 4. Free meals and ration given to students

Criticism of NFSA

No need to cover 67% population & it should have been targeted scheme . It will lead to Fiscal deficit
Hidden Hunger Problem will remain because it don’t have pulses, edible oil, fruits, veggies and milk component in it. Present diet will just provide Carbohydrates
Nothing done to reduce leakage . GPS Truck tracking , CCTV etc should have been used in this but there isn’t any provision like this in the act
Economic Survey is of the view that instead of this , Food Stamps should be given to targeted people who can buy the food of their choice from market

Alternatives to present National Food Security Act

1 . Universal

When PDS was introduced it was universal scheme . In 1997, Targeted PDS started but states like Tamil Nadu continued to use Universal Entitlement

Pros	No Exclusion Errors
Cons	– Fiscal Deficit Issues – Theoretically, subsidy should be targeted to poor only

2. CashTransfer

Give Cash via Direct Benefit Transfer . People will buy themselves

Pros	1. Increased choice on what to eat 2. Nutritional Security instead of food security 3. Low administrative cost 4. No leakages
Cons	1. No surety that it will be used to buy food 2. Expose already vulnerable people to price volatility of food 3. Financial Inclusion is not 100% and most of persons outside net are those who need food subsidy the most .

3. Food Coupons

Pros	Household is given the freedom to choose where it buys food – Increases incentive for competitive prices and assured quality of food grains among PDS stores – Ration shops get full price for food grains from the poor; no incentive to turn the poor away
Cons	– *Food coupons are not indexed for inflation; may expose recipients to inflation* – *Difficult to administer; there have known to be delays in issuing food coupons and reimbursing shops*

4. Use Technology

Some of the states are already using the technology to stop leakages in the PDS and showing positive results . These include

Issue of Smart Card	Haryana , Tamil Nadu, Punjab
Using GPS	Chhattisgarh, Tamil Nadu
SMS based Monitoring	Chhattisgarh, Tamil Nadu, UP

Globalization

January 22, 2020 by admin

Globalization

In this article, we will discuss article titled ‘Effects of globalization on Indian society.’

Note : This is part of our series on Society for UPSC examination. For more articles , click here.

When did Globalization started?

No agreement on this

1st view : Since old times as world was never isolate . There was trade & exchange of culture & ideas

2nd view : it happened during 15th & 16th century, when Europeans through colonialism connected new countries

3rd view : it was during Industrial Revolution which led to formation of steam engines

Finally although there is no agreement on the definition, everyone agrees that the pace of globalisation has increased during 1990s with internet & telecommunication

Note – India’s concept of Vasudeva Kutumbakam is in line with Globalization. Hence, Indians are experiencing Globalization since long

What Exactly is Globalization ?

In simple terms , globalization is increasing global interconnectedness
In Globalization, concept of Sovereignty of States is diluting . MNCs are encroaching and sometimes becoming more powerful than States
Has various aspects – Social, economic etc.

Economic

Economic globalization comprises of two aspects :

Globalization of production : manufacturing goods and services at place with minimum cost of labour
Globalization of markets

Social

Local happenings are shaped by events occuring miles away

Whether it is beneficial or not is matter of debate. It has both sides .

- - Some consider it the cause of the rising standard of living throughout the world.
  - Others think globalization to be soft underbelly of corporate imperialism that plunders and profiteers on the back of rampant consumerism.

Factors helping Globalization

International Trade	Trade is the biggest contributor of Globalization . Free Trade Agreements , Regional Integration & Global institutions such as WTO played important role.
ICT	ICT has connected offices situated in different parts of the world BPOs in India can do work for companies in US and EU at fraction of price .
International Governmental Organisations	Organisations like WTO , UN, European Union (EU), ASEAN etc integrated different parts of the world.
Tourism	People are travelling different parts => such surge in tourism was never seen before
International Sports	CWG, Olympics, FIFA etc

Negatives of Globalization in General

Attack on sovereignty of nations by MNCs and Institutions like WTO , IMF etc.
Spread of Terrorism, drug trafficking, piracy etc
Increased Insurgencies
- - - Adivasis uprooted from ancestral lands by MNCs
    - Support of diaspora . Eg : Sri Lanka’s Tamil Tigers relied on the Tamil diaspora
Environmental damage : overfishing, forest depletion etc.
Disease Spread : Diseases spread like fire in the forest because of increased global connectivity & movement
Global Economy became too fragile – frequent depressions and slowdowns
Inequality has increased . Capitalists have exploited the situation to their advantage
Increased vulnerability of workers : MNCs keep on shifting their manufacturing bases based on cheap availability of labour. Eg : Nike – Japan => South Korea => Indonesia , India and Thailand.
Impetus to Culture of Materialism and Consumerism
Exploitation of farmers
- - - Globalization has exposed the farmers to global competition
    - WTO obligations regarding de minimus limit
    - MNCs controlling farmers through Contract Farming
    - Seed monopoly by MNCs

But we cant live in isolation and we can find a warning against isolationism in a parable about a well-frog- the ‘kupamanduka’ that persistently recurs in several old Sanskrit texts.

Socio-cultural Globalization & India

Cultural Globalization has increased cross cultural contacts
Penetration of western food culture like McD, Pizza Hut, KFC etc & western cloth culture .
- - - Critics say that it is Westernisation and not Globalization because of imbalance of transfer
    - But MNCs also adopt to the local cultures eg McD don’t serve beef burgers, Pizza Hut coming with Indian flavours etc .
Cultural homogenization : we all watch the same television programmes, buy the same commodities, eat the same food, support the same sports stars . Cultural diversity is being destroyed .
Use of ‘English’ rapidly increasing + Multilingual speakers are increasing
Rise of right wing parties to protect local values & culture

Economic Globalization & India

Economic globalization comprises of two aspects :

Globalisation of production
Globalisation of markets

Positive Impacts

Creation of jobs. Eg : Jobs in BPO sector
Bringing in improved technological process
Providing revenue by way of paying tax
Bringing better work culture to India
Indirect impact is – To attract more MNCs to India, government invest a lot in infrastructure (roads, faster railway services and airplane facilities)
IT revolution in India and setting up of huge BPO sector providing services to their clients in developed world. This has created crores of jobs in India .

Negative Impacts

Worsening of labour conditions as MNCs chief aim is maximisation of profits (main thing that seduce MNCs to manufacture in India is cheap labour )
Repatriating their profits to respective countries rather than investing in India
Driving small companies and artisans out of business
Violating human rights & damaging environment
Health sector has impacted greatly. Due to patent protection , price of patented drugs have skyrocketed
Impact on agriculture sector : Seed monopoly + dumping by US & Europe

Impact of Globalization on various sections of society

1. Society as a Whole

Family structure

Value of Individualism => nuclearisation of families

Marriage values

Children taking their own decision to select their own partners.
Marriage is seen as contract rather than sacrament
Large number of divorces.

Social interactions and festivals

Individualism => Social Interactions have reduced
Celebrate Valentine’s Day rather than Holi and Diwali.

Food & clothing

Abandoned local foods & attracted towards junk food => increased health disorders
Western suitings preferred by males but they are inappropriate for Indian climate.

Withdrawal of

Government

from Social Sector

LPG led to general reduction of state’s public spending => State has taken the role of regulator instead of service provider
Large budget cuts on health, education and social security.

2. Female

Positive

Has opened new avenues of jobs for women
Working from home and flexi hours are less burdensome physically.
Globalization has posed challenge to institution of Patriarchy
Women in India are inspired by women the world over to fight for their rights. Eg : fighting for maternity leave
Modern ideas like Equality of Sexes and Equal wages for both sexes have reached India
Signed conventions like CEDAW

Negative

Double Burden / Second Shift : Women get job in MNCs but her social responsibilities don’t lessen
Globalization exploit cheap women labour in countries like India , Bangladesh etc
Globalization has exacerbated gender inequalities – no doubt women have been benefited but men have been benefited more than women
Corrupted value system of males => objectify women =>increased cases of rapes and sexual exploitation
With encroachment of MNCs , small women entrepreneurs have gone out of market. Eg : Women silk spinners from Bihar arent able to compete against Chinese silk yarn
Male members move to other nations ( Punjab and Kerala) -Women has to pass almost whole of her life without her husband

3. Farmers and Agriculture

Positive Impact of globalization

Greater access to better technology
- - - high yield varieties
    - genetically modified crops (GM crops)
    - micro irrigation techniques.
Foreign investment in agriculture in contract farming and food processing have helped farmers.
Access to foreign markets

Negative Impact of globalization

Exposed to Competition from World => good produce in Jamaica can make price of sugarcane to fall in India .
MNCs using IPRs to create seed monopolies . Eg : Monsanto’s monopoly over BT cotton seed
Due to WTO obligations and De-Minimus limit , state support for agriculture has declined substantially .
MNCs controlling farmers through Contract Farming (monopsony in exotic products)
Crops grown in Contract farming usually requires high doses of fertilisers and pesticides which damage environment
Increased suicides since LPG reforms in India . Eg : Vidharbha is called suicide capital of India .

4. Old Age

Loneliness	Children are migrating either to work in MNCs in cosmopolitans or other countries . (Empty nest syndrome)
Economic Impact	With new kinds of technology in jobs , they are not fit for this
Psychological Impact	Not able to accept encroachment of foreign values which have occurred at huge pace. This leads to Clashes between parents and children especially girl child .
Health Impact	Due to agreements like TRIPS price of patented drugs have skyrocketed => impacted Old age the most

5. New Generation / youth

Positive

New avenues of Job : New avenues of jobs have opened . Eg: IT sector , BPO , Sharemarkets etc .
More political awareness– idea of individual liberty, justice etc
Rise of entrepreneurial spirit : end of monopoly of Parsis, Marwaris etc on industry => startup culture & rise of first generation millionaires (eg : Ola, Oyo etc)
Pressure for protection of children :
- - - International conventions like Convention on Child Rights
    - NGOs & Social workers like Kailash Satyarthi’s efforts get global recognition

Negative

Change in value system : individualism => increased suicidal tendencies & loneliness
Hyper consumerism => engulfed in feeling of relative deprivation among youth
Increased Competition : Now they have to compete not just with their countrymen but whole world
Increased divorces : Marriage seen as contract due to globalization
Drugs : Globalization has brought drugs like heroin , smack etc to India.

5. Art Forms

Fusion of Indian and Western Art forms . Eg Fusion Music , Fusion Dance
Packaging and branding of traditional folk and festivals
Tourism to see Indian culture. Eg – Langar of Golden Temple to ruins of Hampi have become tourist destinations
Yoga becoming world famous
Foreign culture is also penetrating India and hence, right wing groups revived cultural nationalism . Eg campaigns against Valentines Day etc

Localisation vs Homogenisation vs Clash of Civilisation

With increase in globalization, what will happen?

Three contrasting views

With Globalisation , all cultures will become similar/ homogeneous.
There is an increasing tendency towards glocalisation .
Clash of Civilisations

Glocalization

Glocalization refers to the mixing of the global with the local.

Arguments for Glocalization

It is a strategy adopted by foreign firms to enhance their marketability.
Glocalization In India,
- - Netflix making Indian TV Series
  - Foreign TV channels like MTV and Cartoon Network use Indian languages.
  - McDonald selling Indian Burgers
  - Bhangra pop & remixes

Argument for Homogeneity

homogeneity due to globalization in India can be seen at 2 levels

Socio-cultural level:
- - - Common values of Globalization like modernization, promotion of democracy
    - Homogeneous food habits (macdonaldization, pizza culture)
    - Use of ‘English’ as a global language
    - Creation of Global Celebrities like Britney Spears or Ronaldo

Economic level:
- - - MNCs – same large corporations having presence in whole world
    - Same corporate culture
    - Same production techniques

Infact Globalization is Americanisation of the world

3rd view – Cultural polarization

- Samuel Huntington dismissed the idea of a global monoculture as well as Glocalisation
- ‘clash of civilizations’ – civilizational conflict would occur between USA and China and between the West and Islam.

Regionalism

January 22, 2020January 22, 2020 by admin

Regionalism

This article deals with topic titled ‘Regionalism’.

Note : Note : This is part of our series on Society for UPSC examination. For more articles , click here.

What is Regionalism?

The phenomenon in which people’s political loyalties become more focused on particular region in preference to the nation or other parts of the state of which that region is sub-part is called regionalism

In Indian context, regionalism is rooted in India’s diversity vis-a-vis caste , religion , language , ethnicity etc. When all these factors get geographically concentrated along with the feeling of relative deprivation, it results into Regionalism.

Is Regionalism a threat to National Integration?

The politics of regionalism has two connotations

Positive : This type of Regionalism is not threat to National Integration
- - - Desire for preserving identity based on language, culture, ethnicity
    - To protect socio-economic interest
    - For administrative convenience .

Negative : Any demand of regionalism which acts as a threat to nation building efforts is referred as negative form of regionalism . Like Son of Soil policy & demand of secession.

Second form can be seen as threat while first form is not threat per se.

Characteristics of regionalism

Regionalism is conditioned by economic, social, political and cultural disparities.
Regionalism at times is a psychic phenomenon.
Regionalism is built around as an expression of group identity as well as loyalty to the region.
Regionalism supposes the concept of development of one’s own region without taking into consideration the interest of other regions.
Regionalism prohibits people from other regions to be benefited by a particular region.

Types of Regionalism

Demand for Separation : Demand to secede from Indian union and become a sovereign state. Eg : Khalistan , Azad Kashmir , Naga etc

Supra-state regionalism: Group of states are involved. They share common issues & build common identities . Eg Northeastern states for economic development and rivalry between North and South Indian States on language

Inter-state regionalism: Between States . It is issue-specific. Eg : Disputes between Karnataka and Tamil Nadu over Kaveri

Intra-state regionalism: Due to lack of equitable sharing of benefits within state. Eg: Coastal region vs western region in Odisha, Jaipur (Amer) vs Jodhpur (Marwar) in Rajasthan

Causes of regionalism in India

Linguistic Reorganisation of States

- States divided linguistically => generate sub-national identity

Historical and cultural factors:

- History has divided India into two parts – “Aryans” and “Dravidians”.
- Different regions have their own local heroes &’people tend to mobilise around them .Eg Shivaji in Maharashtra or Periyer in TN etc
- After integration of princely states , people were still loyal to their old territorial units

Economic underdevelopment : Uneven development generates regionalism and separatism. It can manifest in form of demand for Special Category Status or separate state or secession . Eg Bodoland, Jharkhand, Uttarakhand, Chhatisgarh, Telangana, and so on.

Politico-administrative factors:

- Used by some region based parties. Eg : Shiv Sena => protect Maratha interests
- Undue Interference in the affairs of state by central government gives birth to regionalism.

Economic Development – Sometimes development of particular community raises regional aspirations of the community . Eg : After GR, Sikh Jatts of Punjab became economically prosperous and they started to demand separate Punjab from other Hindi speaking regions

Disintegration of Congress Party : After Nehru, central leaders started to impose their mandate on regional leaders. As a result, local leaders moved away to form parties like NCP in MH , Trinamool Congress in WB. They encouraged regionalism

Son of the Soil Movement

“Son of the soil” doctrine argues that state specifically belongs to the main linguistic group inhabiting it , who are the sons of the soil or local residents.
Aka Politics of Nativism.

Why son of the soil?

Rising aspirations of the local middle class
Economy’s failure not to create enough employment opportunity. There remains a competition for jobs
Politicians with vested interests try to consolidate their voting base using this. Eg Shiv Sena in Maharashtra

Note : In some areas like Punjab , Haryana , Delhi etc , son of soil theory is not there but in Maharashtra , Karnataka etc it is present.

Not Present in Punjab, West Bengal, Delhi etc

Son of Soil theory is for Middle class jobs and not for menial jobs
It is not issue of political parties . Eg : Akali Dal is jatt dominated party + Communist Party refused to use anti-migrant sentiments in Calcutta because of its ideological commitment
Symbiotic Relationship : Punjabis and Haryanvis want cheap agricultural labour
In Delhi, culture is purely cosmopolitan

There in Maharashtra

Political parties like Shiv Sena, MNS use this as political tool
Competition between migrants and nativists is for middle class jobs
If national party is weak, the native political parties become more assertive

Impact of Regionalism in India

Positive

Most important basis for the formation of identity was language. Hence, it has kept communalism and formation of political identity based on religion in check
Regionalism has helped in promoting democracy in India. Regional parties like Shiv Sena, DMK etc fight to capture power via democracy
Agitate to preserve their culture => helped in preserving the diversity of nation

Negative

Regionalism at times transforms into secessionism

Son of Soil Policy impacts Fundamental rights of Citizens like right to life or right to carry out any profession

It can cause great damage to private and public property.

Creates sub national feelings in the people . Naga Nationalism or Punjabi Nationalism vs Indian nationalism

Regionalism, also becomes hurdle in the international diplomacy, . Eg : Tamil Parties impact diplomacy with Srilanka & Trinamool Congress with Bangladesh (like in Teesta Water dispute)

Ways to Combat

Making India truly federal in word and spirit
Doing away with regional imbalances
Not imposing single culture on whole nation . Eg imposing Hindi in whole nation will face backlashes from Non-Hindi speaking states .
Three language formula as suggested by Sarkaria Commission to be strictly implemented
People to People contact + making people aware of other cultures using TV & Radio + Ending the prejudices of Cow Belt against North Easterners & South Indians

Federalism to Combat Regionalism/ Why India didn’t face Regionalism to the extent other multi-lingual/diverse countries face

Other countries with ethnic and linguistic diversities are facing many problems like secessionist movements => they werent able to accommodate regional aspirations
- - - Nepal is facing Madhesi Agitation
    - Pakistan facing Baluchi & Sindhi movements
    - Sri Lanka experienced Tamil civil war
    - Eriteria seceded from Ethiopia
    - Yugoslavia broke due to various sub nationalisms at play

But India inspite of such a huge diversity of cultures is still united . Reason = Federalism and devolution of power which gives sense of meeting regional aspirations by various groups.

Indian federalism provides democratic ways to meet local aspirations of people
- - - Sovereignty is constitutionally shared. States enjoy significant power . People feel that they are governed by their own people . Cooperative and Competitive Federalism is the new watchword in India.
    - 73rd and 74th Amendment
    - Regions under 5th and 6th Schedule enjoys certain autonomy
    - Art 370 & 371 has special provisions helpful in addressing concerns of some states.

Other factors why India hasn’t faced Regionalism

Linguistic reorganization of states
- - - Unlike our neighbours, India recognized early that language is the reason behind regionalism & opted for linguistic reorganization of the states in 1956.And by 1966 all major language speakers have states of their own. This led to regionalism problem getting subdued in India.

Economically most backward regions are politically most powerful.
- - - India has a peculiar situation unlike other countries => UP is one of the most backward state in India but they decide who will make Government at Union => cant complain of Political Apathy & Discrimination
    - Out of 14 Prime Minister, 9 are from UP.

Economic interdependence between different regions

Wave of globalization => India is becoming homogenous => Regionalism subsumed by Globalisation

Secularism

January 22, 2020January 22, 2020 by admin

Secularism

This article deals with topic titled ‘Secularism’.

Note : Note : This is part of our series on Society for UPSC examination. For more articles , click here.

Secularism is defined as the principle of separation of state from religious institutions and religious dignitories.

But nature and extent of separation may take different forms depending upon different values it intends to promote.

Three models

Religion is private affair of person and state passively respects all religions

Arm length distance is maintained between state and religion.

French

Laicite / Militant Secularism
In France, due to long battle against religious influence on laws and government, Laicite was introduced.
There is total separation between religion and state (ie religious activities and symbols are banned in public sphere).

French secularism has come under criticism that rather than promoting diversity, freedom of thought and multi-culturism , it is interfering with the basic right to religious self expression

Indian

The Indian idea and practice of secularism although was inspired by western ideas yet it is rooted in India’s unique socio-historic circumstances like religious diversity and support for all religions .

Based on this , features of Indian secularism are as follows
- - Wall of separation between state and religion is porous ie state can intervene in religion to promote progressive voices within every religion . Eg : Abolition of untouchability.
  - However, religion is strictly prohibited to interfere in state matters hence disallowing mobilisation of electoral support on religious line

Provisions regarding Secularism in India

Articles 25 to 28 => freedom of religion to all.
Articles 14, 16, 44 (Uniform Civil Code) and 51A, by implication prohibit the establishment of a theocratic state.
In the Kesavananda Bharati case the Supreme Court (SC) had declared secularism as a part of the basic structure of the Constitution.
Doctrine of Essential Practices by SC
Section 123(3) of Representation of Peoples Act 1951 prohibits political parties to ask for votes on religious lines
Rev Stanislaus vs State of MP held that forcible conversions is not included in right to propagate religion

Challenges to Secularism

Frequent recourse to revivalist events such as Ghar Wapsi etc. breeds fear amongst the minorities
Incidents of lynching
Communal Riots and Targeted Violence
Religious hate speech, falsification of history and dissemination of wrong information

For more articles on Society, click below.

Society – UPSC Material

Communalism

January 22, 2020 by admin

Communalism

This article deals with topic titled ‘Communalism.’

Note : This is part of our series on Society for UPSC examination. For more articles , click here.

Definition of Communalism

Allegiance to ones own ethnic/religious group rather than to wider society

Stages of Communalism

Communalism is manifested at three levels

Mild	When people belonging to same community believe that they have same secular interest
Moderate	When people belonging to different communities believe that they have different secular interests
Extreme	When people believe that they not only have different interests but mutually antagonistc and hostile interests (one community can prosper only at the cost of other community)

Communalism is an ideological tool often used by upper class to mobilise people to achieve their own political goals

6 types of Communalism

Often there is perception in the society that communalism is threat to National Security . But , it is not a threat to national security prima facie. It depends upon type of communalism which is present

Assimilationist	When large religious community tries to bring into it’s fold small communities Eg : Hindu organisation projecting Tribals as Hindus
Welfarist	When religious community makes effort for welfare of the members of that community Eg : Christian organisations doing welfare work for Christians
Retreatist	When the religious community forbid their members from participating in political affairs Eg : Bahi Community
Retaliatory	When members of the religious communities are made to believe that their interests are mutually antagonist to interests of other religious communities Eg : Hindu-Muslim community
Separatist	When based on religious identities , people demand a separate state within the federal framework Eg : Punjabi Suba
Secessionist	When based on religious identities , people demand secession Eg : Khalistan

Last three are threat to national integration but first three arent . Hence, we cant say communalism is always threat to national integration.

Characteristics of Communalism

Communalism is an ideological concept.
It is total commitment to a set of beliefs & unwillingness to accept other beliefs
It mostly rests on prejudices.
It close the self and is highly emotional
It causes rivalry and violence among masses.
It is used by the higher class people and elites as an instrument for division and exploitation.
It strikes at the roots of secularism and national integration.

Evolution of Communalism in India

The genesis of communalism in India can be traced back to the British rule

With the emergence of secular education, new educated middle class emerged . But the aspirations of the middle class were not getting satisfied in the absence of adequate economic opportunities. Communal Politics emerged to get largest pie .
Socio-economic classes coincided with religious distinctions. Eg :
- - - Hindu Zamindars vs Muslim peasants in Bengal, Kerala etc
Divide and Rule Policy of Britishers : To counter the growing national movement

However, the overthrow of colonial state was only the necessary condition to fight the menace of communalism but not sufficient condition . There were other forces at play too. Even in post-independence period , Government failed to control communalism.

Causes of Communalism

Failing of Minorities to integrate in Mainstream

Muslims failed to intermix in the national mainstream and insist to sustain separate identity.

Vote Bank Politics

Various religion base parties use Communalism to consolidate their vote banks

Communal way of History writing

British historian like James Mill described ancient period as the Hindu period and medieval period as the Muslim period

Economic Causes

If certain religious community is economically weak => feeling of relative deprivation => rise of communalism

Absence of Uniform Code

In absence of Uniform civil code, there is perception that all communities have divergent and contradictory interests.

Psychological factors

Hindu groups consider that the Muslims are crusaders , fundamentalists and unpatriotic.
On the other hand, the Muslims believe that they are treated as inferior group in India .

Politics of Appeasement

Political parties try to appease communities for votes. Eg : Shah Bano Case . This promote Communalism

Provocation of Enemy Countries

Eg : Pakistan foster Communal feelings especially in Kashmiri Muslim Youth

Problems in State Machinery to fight Communalism

National human rights commission (NHRC) fights for communal violence related causes . But it’s recommendations are advisory in nature
Various commissions have given suggestions to solve the issue of communal violence. Prominent among them are SACHAR COMMITTEE and RANGANATH MISHRA COMMISSION.
- - - Sachar committee (2010) : set up Equal opportunity commission (EOC)
    - Ranganath Misra Commission : recommended reservation for minorities
No Special Act dealing with Communal Violence and targetted violence. It was also held in Sajjan Kumar vs State (2018)
Role of police in communal riots is highly controversial. This is further aggravated by large scale concentration of dominant caste in police .

Impact of Communalism

On Politics

Organisation of Political parties on Communal Basis
Voting on Communal Basis
Large scale riots near elections to polarize votes

On Society

Created wide rift among the people
Hampers unity of nation and creates various sub-national feelings
Curbing of Progressive voices . Eg Voices for abolition of Triple Talaq is being opposed

On Economy

Vandalisation of public property like burning of buses, trains etc
Badly impacts the investors confidence

Ways to eradicate Communalism:

Balanced and job intensive economic development
Interreligious marriage
Equal Opportunities commission should be formed .
Going towards Uniform civil code
Zero Tolerance toward riots .
Avoid communalisation of politics.
Promote Indian ideology of Vasudeva Kutumbakam ie whole world is a family ie universal brotherhood.

Safety of Women at Workplace

January 21, 2020January 21, 2020 by admin

Safety of Women at Workplace

This article deals with topic titled ‘Safety of Women at Workplace.’

Note – This article is part of our series on Society for UPSC examination. For more articles, click here.

According to NSSO Data, Women’s workforce participation has decreased to 21% ( one of the lowest in the world ) .

Initiatives taken so far

- - Vishakha Guidelines by Supreme Court in 1997

- - Protection of Woman from Sexual Harassment at Workplace Act based on Vishaka Judgement

- She Box Portal to enable woman employees to file harassment complaints at workplace

Sexual Harassment at Workplace Act, 2012

Features

- - It defines sexual harassment as laid down by SC in Vishaka case.

- - It puts the legal responsibility on the employer to provide a safe & conducive environment for the woman worker.

- - Formation of Internal Complaints Committee (ICC) or, in case of unorganised sector , formation of 5 member Local Complaint Committee under the supervision of District Collector.

- - Those who donot comply with the Act’s provisions will be fined up to Rs 50,000.

Limitations

- - 2015 study : 36% of Indian companies have not constituted ICC

- - Non inclusion of the armed forces and all paramilitary forces within its purview.

- - If a complaint is found to be “malicious” , she is liable for punishment. This will discourage victims

- - Limited time period of 90 days to file complaint

- - Provide security to only women and not men

- - Punishment for misconduct is as per the service rules of the employer ( if it exists), else as per the rules of the act. The Act is, however, silent on the situation where employers’ service rule contains less stringent punishment provisions.

Current Cases

Oct 2018

#MeToo Campaign : Large number of women came forward to share their old experience of harassment at workplace by men in power

Women Safety in India

January 21, 2020January 21, 2020 by admin

Women Safety in India

In this article, we will look into topic titled ‘Women Safety in India.’

Note- This is part of our series on Society for UPSC examination. For more articles, click here.

Women safety includes various dimensions like Sexual harassment at workplace, rape, marital rape, dowry, acid attack etc. (In general question, cover all aspects)

India is the 4th most dangerous country in the world for woman (Afghanistan, Pakistan and Congo ahead of India)

Factors aggravating & affecting women safety

1. Socio-Economic-Cultural Factors

Institutionalisation of Patriarchal System
Objectification / Commodification of women
Influence of “Western culture”.

2. Institutional Failures

Poor enforcement of laws + laws have lacunae
Poor conviction rate in crimes against women
Slow criminal justice system
Poor gender sensitization of law enforcing agencies like police, judiciary etc.

3. Lack of Reporting

Women don’t complain due to various reasons like social stigma or fear of retaliation

4. Infra Gaps

Poorly lit urban spaces coupled with inadequate police patrolling

Note – Not only physical spaces but women is not safe in India even on Digital space (Internet) .

Justice Verma Committee

Formed – After the horrific event of Nirbhaya death

Recommendations

- Rules out death sentence for rape convicts
- Life Imprisonment in case of Rape means imprisonment for entire natural life of convict
- Stalking to be viewed as serious offence
- Law Enforcement Agencies are Gender Insensitive
- Marital Rape should be made offence under IPC

Government schemes in this regard

1.Acts and legal measures

Sexual Harassment of Women at workplace Act 2013
Various provisions under IPC

2. Surakshit Nari , Sashakt Nari

Following things done under this scheme

Panic Button in Mobiles
181 – Universal Women Helpline number
Himmat App : To raise SOS alert .
CCTV Surveillance cameras in trains

Etc

3. Sakhi-One Stop Centre Scheme

Will support women affected from violence
Will offer Medical Aid , Police Assistance, Legal Aid , Counselling and shelters

4. Transportation Schemes

Pink Auto initiative of Odisha: pink autos drivers have undergone psychological testand training.
Delhi : Women compartment in Metro

Domestic Violence

January 21, 2020January 21, 2020 by admin

Domestic Violence

This article deals with topic titled ‘Domestic Violence’.

Note- This is part of our series on Society for UPSC. For more articles, click here.

What is Domestic Violence?

It is also known as Intimate Partner Violence (IPV)
Domestic violence in India is endemic. Around 70% of women in India are victims

Forms

Physical Injury	Most visible form Includes slapping, kicking, hitting, beating etc
Emotional Abuse	Erode woman’s sense of self-worth Include harassment; threats, verbal abuse , blaming and isolation.
Sexual Assault	Includes touching or fondling; sexual coercion ; wife swapping

Causes

Dowry Demands : can lead to physical & emotional abuse and even dowry death and bride burning
Patriarchal household structure
Cultural acceptance of Domestic Violence.
Alcoholic husband.
Not having a male child.
Violence against young widows esp in rural areas – they are cursed for their husband’s death
Under Reporting : Under reporting & non reporting encourage partner to indulge more into this

Effects

Emotional Distress & suicidal tendencies in women suffering from Domestic Violence.
Infringement of Fundamental Rights of women including Right to Life
Serious health problems : Injury, Unwanted Pregnancy etc
Negative Impact on Children : Children of such parents also face psychological problems and they live in atmosphere of fear

Act : Protection of Women from Domestic Violence Act, 2005

Domestic Violence has been modified – it includes actual abuse or the threat of abuse that is physical, sexual, verbal, emotional and economic and further harassment by way of unlawful dowry demands to the woman or her relatives.
Widened the scope of the term WOMEN – Act now covers “live- in partners”, wives, sisters, widows, mothers, single women, divorced women
Right to Secure Housing i.e. right to reside in the matrimonial or shared household, whether or not she has any title or rights in the household.
Principal of Locus Standi doesn’t apply
For women who prefer not to stay in the shared household, state needs to create shelter homes.
First hearing within 3 days after receiving application and dispose the case in 60 days.
Protection Officers to provide assistance to woman for medical examination, legal aid etc
Act has a provision of upto 1 year imprisonment

Negative points / Lacunae

Madras High Court Bench observed – it can be misused by the women to file frivolous cases
A man can be booked under the Domestic Violence act even if women feel that she has been mentally harassed and verbally abused. But these terms are subjective
Conviction rate is very low (3%) .
Marital rape is not included
No provision of online filing of cases
Number of protection officers appointed in state is inadequate

Recent Judgement making it Gender Neutral

Supreme Court has laid down that a woman can also file a complaint against another woman, accusing her of domestic violence.

Reasoning of Court

Since the perpetrators and abettors of domestic violence can also be women, insulating them would frustrate the objectives of the Act. Under this immunity, females and minors can continue to commit domestic violence.
It discriminates between persons similarly situated and, thus, violates Article 14 of the Constitution.

Significance of the Change

It makes Domestic Violence gender neutral
However, there are concerns that it would encourage husbands to file counter cases against their wives through their mothers or sisters.