GS Analyst
Daily Current Affairs

The Union government’s flagship Namami Gange programme, introduced to improve the sanitation levels in the Ganga river is now geared towards conservation, tourism and providing economic livelihoods.

About the Clean Ganga initiative:

• Background:
  • The Tourism Ministry was tasked to develop a ‘comprehensive plan for tourism circuits along the Ganga River in line with Arth Ganga, organic farming and cultural activities, in December 2019.
  • Arth Ganga was launched with the aim of harnessing the economic potential of the Ganga.
• Objectives:

The development projects are in line with the Ganga task force meeting in 2019, which aims to;

• • Develop ‘tourism circuits’ and fairs in 75 towns along the main stem of the river;
  • The Agriculture Ministry was taking steps to build organic farming and natural farming corridors;
  • The urban affairs ministry was focused on mapping drains and solid waste management and,
  • The environment ministry was scaling up afforestation and conservation efforts to protect the Gangetic river dolphin.

Namami Gange Programme:

• About the mission: It is an Integrated Conservation Mission, approved as a ‘Flagship Programme’ by the Union Government in June 2014 with a budget outlay of Rs.20,000 Crore to accomplish the twin objectives of effective abatement of pollution, conservation and rejuvenation of National River Ganga.
• Major Objectives:
  • Sewage Treatment Infrastructure
  • River-Front Development
  • River-Surface Cleaning
  • Biodiversity
  • Afforestation
  • Public Awareness
  • Industrial Effluent Monitoring
  • Ganga Gram
• Administered by: It is being operated under the Department of Water Resources, River Development and Ganga Rejuvenation, Ministry of Jal Shakti.
• Implemented by: The program is being implemented by the National Mission for Clean Ganga (NMCG), and its state counterpart organizations i.e. State Program Management Groups (SPMGs).

Upcoming developments:

• Every Ganga district was expected to develop a scientific plan and health card for at least 10 wetlands and adopt policies for the reuse of treated water and other by-products. 
• To reuse treated wastewater of thermal power and,
• The Rural Development Ministry is looking to rejuvenate small rivers and protect traditional water bodies.

The government has recently introduced the Multi-State Cooperative Societies (Amendment) Bill, 2022, to improve governance and bring transparency & accountability.

Details of the Bill:

• The Bill to amend the Multi­State Cooperative Societies (MSCS) Act, 2002, has been introduced in the Lok Sabha.
• The opposition has alleged that Bill’s provisions encroached upon the rights of State governments.
• They are demanding that the Bill must be referred to a Standing Committee.

What are the issues with the cooperative sector?

• Issues regarding trust: This has brought MSCSs under multiple controls from the Centre.
• Monitoring: Monitoring from much above, takes a top­down approach as opposed to a grassroots one.

What does the Bill seek to change?

• To plug Loopholes in the MSCS Act: Bill seeks to amend the 2002 law for more “transparency” and “ease of doing business”.
• To strengthen governance, reform the electoral process, improve the monitoring mechanism, and ensure ease of doing business in multi-State cooperative societies.
• To improve the composition of boards and ensure financial discipline, besides enabling the raising of funds in the multi-State cooperative societies.
• Creation of a central Co­operative Election Authority: The Bill provides for the creation of a central Co­operative Election Authority to supervise the electoral functions of the MSCSs.
• Its composition:
  • A chairperson
  • vice chairperson, and
  • up to three members appointed by the Centre.
• Insertion of a new Section related to the “establishment of the Cooperative Rehabilitation, Reconstruction and Development Fund” for the revival of “sick multi-state cooperative societies”.
• The merger of “any cooperative society” into an existing multi-state cooperative society.

Discussion against the Bill:

• The Bill may lead to “the concentration of power of the Centre”, which could impact the “autonomy” of MSCSs and create the potential for “misuse”.
• The constitutional domain of the states in regulating cooperative societies was upheld by the Supreme Court last year when it struck down a part of the 97^th Constitution Amendment.
• It would have “restricted” the power of the states to regulate cooperative societies.
• Beyond the legislative competence of the Union as State cooperative societies are within the exclusive jurisdiction of States.
• The states already had the power to regulate cooperative societies as they fall under Entry 32 of the State List.
• Bill’s provisions encroach on the rights of State governments. It infringed on the cardinal principle of autonomous functioning as provided in Article 43B of the Constitution.

Article 43B says the government shall endeavour to promote voluntary formation, autonomous functioning, democratic control, and professional management of cooperative societies.

• Cooperative federalism should have been followed before the preparation of this Bill.
• No provision of the Constitution makes way for merging a cooperative society, which is incorporated under State law with a Multi-State Cooperative Society.

Related Constitutional Provisions:

• 97^th Constitutional Amendment Act 2011
• The right to form cooperative societies is a fundamental right (Article 19).
• New Directive Principle of State Policy on the Promotion of Cooperative Societies (Article 43-B).
• A new Part IX-B to the Constitution is titled “The Co-operative Societies” (Articles 243-ZH to 243-ZT).
• Creation of a new Ministry of Cooperation – which gave more acknowledgement to cooperative societies.

A private member’s Bill in Lok Sabha has been introduced, which seeks the formation of a high-level committee, in order to bring transparency to the functioning of political parties.

What is Private members’ Bill?

• A private member’s Bill is different from a government Bill and is piloted by an MP who is not a minister.
• Individual MPs may introduce private member’s Bills to draw the government’s attention to what they might see as issues requiring legislative intervention.

About the Bill introduced:

• Aim: The Bill seeks to give more power to the Election Commission to ‘regulate, monitor and superintend’ the internal functioning of all political parties, including internal elections of all registered political parties.
• Need of the Bill:
  • The internal functioning and structures of a large number of political parties have become very “opaque and ossified” and there is a need to make their functioning transparent, accountable and rule-based.
• Key features:
• Formation of a Committee: Bill seeking setting up of a committee – consisting of;
  • • The Prime Minister,
    • Home Minister,
    • Leader of Opposition or floor Leader in both Lok Sabha and Rajya Sabha and
    • Chief Justice of India and two senior-most judges of the Supreme Court.
  • Fixed tenure: The Bill envisages a fixed tenure of six years for the Chief Election Commissioner and Election Commissioners and three years from the date of appointment for the Regional Commissioners.
  • On internal elections of political parties: A provision in the Bill says that the “regulation, monitoring and superintendence of internal functioning including but not limited to the internal election of all registered political parties under the Representation of the People Act, 1951 shall be vested in the Election Commission.
  • The Election Commission shall regulate, monitor and superintend the internal election of registered political parties, in accordance with their respective constitutions until a Model Internal Code is prescribed by the Election Commission.
  • For non-compliance to the norms: If any registered political party fails to comply with the advisories, duration and instructions issued by the Election Commission with regard to their internal functions, the recognition of such political party as a State or National may be withdrawn.

Has a private member’s bill ever become a law?

• As per PRS Legislative, no private member’s Bill has been passed by Parliament since 1970.
• To date, Parliament has passed 14 such Bills, six of them in 1956.
• In the 14th Lok Sabha, of the over 300 private member’s Bills introduced, roughly four per cent were discussed; the remaining 96 per cent lapsed without a single dialogue.
• The selection of Bills for discussion is done through a ballot.

A PIL filed in the Supreme Court has mentioned that, women and children are the main targets of “foreign-funded” religious conversion in India.

The Plea seeks to:

• Review the rules made under the Foreign Contribution Regulation Act (FCRA) for foreign-funded NGOs and individuals to curb alleged activities related to religious conversions.
• It points at the legal vacuum on the issue and how it has led to the deployment of “unethical predatory conversion strategies” to convert socially and economically backward citizens.
• Take stringent steps to control funding through hawala and other routes to further religious conversions.
• The centre must step to confiscate ‘Benami’ properties and disproportionate assets of persons and institutions involved in “fraudulent religious conversion”.
• It also points out that; women and children are the main targets of foreign-funded missionaries and conversion groups.
  • The States have not taken appropriate steps to control religious conversion in the spirit of Article 15(3).
  • The situation is alarming as many individuals and organizations are carrying mass conversion of socially and economically underprivileged SCs-STs.

What is Religious Conversion?

• Religious conversion is the adoption of a set of beliefs identified with one particular religious denomination to the exclusion of others.
• Thus "religious conversion" would describe the abandoning of adherence to one denomination and affiliating with another.
• In some cases, religious conversion "marks a transformation of religious identity and is symbolized by special rituals”.

Do States have laws on conversions?

• In post-independent India, Odisha became the first State to enact a law restricting religious conversions, which later became a model framework for other states. Odisha’s 1967 Act
• Later, Madhya Pradesh brought in the Madhya Pradesh Dharma Swatantraya Adhiniyam (1968).

More than ten Indian States have passed laws prohibiting certain means of religious conversions- Arunachal Pradesh (1978), Gujarat (2003) Chhattisgarh (2000 and 2006), Rajasthan (2006 and 2008), Himachal Pradesh (2006 and 2019), and Tamil Nadu (a law was enacted in 2002, but repealed in 2004), Jharkhand (2017), Uttarakhand (2018), Uttar Pradesh (2021), and Haryana (2022).

What is the Status of Anti-Conversion Laws in India?

• Constitutional Provision: The Indian Constitution under Article 25 guarantees the freedom to profess, propagate, and practice religion, and allows all religious sections to manage their own affairs in matters of religion, subject to public order, morality, and health.
• However, no person shall force their religious beliefs and consequently, no person should be forced to practice any religion against their wishes.

Are there any existing Central laws?

• There has been ‘no central legislation’ restricting or regulating religious conversions.
• However, since 1954, on multiple occasions, Private Member Bills have been introduced in (but never approved by) Parliament, to regulate religious conversions.
• Further, in 2015, the Union Law Ministry stated that Parliament does not have the legislative competence to pass anti-conversion legislation.

Issues Associated with Anti-Conversion Laws:

• Uncertain and Vague Terminology: The uncertain and vague terminology like misrepresentation, force, fraud, and allurement presents a serious avenue for misuse.
• Antithetical to Minorities: Another issue is that the present anti-conversion laws focus more on the prohibition of conversion to achieve religious freedom.
• Antithetical to Secularism: These laws may pose a threat to the secular fabric of India and the international perception of our society’s intrinsic values and legal system.

Supreme Court Judgements on Marriage and Conversion:

• Hadiya Judgement 2017: Matters of dress and of food, ideas, ideologies, love, and partnership are within the central aspects of identity.
• Neither the State nor the law can dictate a choice of partners or limit the free ability of every person to decide on these matters.
• The principle that the right to marry a person of one’s choice is integral to Article 21.
• S. Puttaswamy or ‘privacy’ Judgment 2017: The autonomy of the individual was the ability to make decisions in vital matters of concern to life.

International Labour Organization (ILO) Director-General Gilbert Houngbo has said that India should focus on job-rich growth and equality to address the crisis created by the COVID-19 pandemic and Ukraine situation.

Details:

• In concluding remarks at the 17^th Asia Pacific Regional Meeting (APRM) of the International Labour Organization (ILO), ILO Director-General has said that the member countries to:
• Ensure greater policy coherence among multilateral, regional and national stakeholders.
• Channel the collective efforts and resources to achieve social justice and decent work for all.
• Develop institutional frameworks to support transitions towards formality and decent work.
• Strengthen the foundations for social and employment protection and resilience.
• Revitalize productivity growth and skills.

Consequences of COVID-19 in India:

• Income and food price spike: It caused substantial income losses and food price spikes.
• Low-income households: They barely maintained their subsistence household expenditure.
• Engel’s law: Share of food expenditure rises as income falls. Further aggravated by food price spikes.
• Impact on socialization: Due to budget constraints: A higher share of food expenditure is expected to lower that of socializing expenditure.
• Slow Recovery: It might increase inequality in India.
• India needs policies focusing on job-rich growth and equality.
• By focusing on job-rich growth and equality, India can move forward further.

Impact of Ukraine-Russia conflict:

• It has resulted in causing inflation and an energy crisis.
• Those who are paying the price for this are those who have nothing to do with this crisis.
• Low-paid citizens are left behind, particularly because of inflation.
• They are forced to spend a big amount of proportion of their salaries on basic needs.

Inclusive Growth:

• Inclusive growth means economic growth that creates employment opportunities and helps in reducing poverty. Elements of Inclusive Growth are:
• Skill Development: Harnessing the demographic dividend will depend upon the employability of the working-age population, their health, education, vocational training and skills. Skill development plays a key role here.
• Financial Inclusion: Financial Inclusion is the process of ensuring access to financial services to vulnerable groups at affordable costs.
• Technological Advancement: The world is moving towards an era of Industrial Revolution 4.0. These technological advancements have capabilities to both decrease or increase inequality depending on the way these are being used.
• Economic Growth: India is among the fastest-growing major economies in the world. However, currently Indian economy is facing a slowdown due to cyclic and structural challenges.
• Social Development: It means empowering all marginalised sections of the population like SC/ST/OBC/Minorities, women and transgenders.

India's Employment Trend:

• Agriculture: There’s been a reversal of the trend in the last two years. This has primarily to do with the Covid-induced economic disruptions.
• Service Sector: The services sector does include relatively well-paying industries such as information technology, business process outsourcing, telecommunications, finance, healthcare, education and public administration.
  • The bulk of the jobs, in this case, is in petty retailing, small eateries, domestic help, sanitation, security staffing, transport and similar other informal economic activities.
• Manufacturing Sector: The share of manufacturing (and mining) in total employment has fallen along with that of agriculture.

Major Causes of Unemployment in India:

• Social Factors
• Rapid Growth of Population
• The dominance of Agriculture
• Fall of Cottage and Small Industries
• Immobility of Labour
• Defects in Education System

Government’s Initiatives:

• Support for Marginalized Individuals for Livelihood and Enterprise (SMILE)
• PM-DAKSH (Pradhan Mantri Dakshta Aur Kushalta Sampann Hitgrahi)
• Mahatma Gandhi National Rural Employment Guarantee Act (MGNREGA)
• Pradhan Mantri Kaushal Vikas Yojana (PMKVY)
• Start-Up India Scheme

Orion’s landing in the Pacific Ocean marked the end of the inaugural Artemis 1 lunar mission exactly 50 years after Apollo’s final moon landing.

Details:

• A “gumdrop-shaped” Orion capsule, carrying a simulated crew of three mannequins wired with sensors” has landed in the Pacific Ocean.
• It also performed a new landing technique called ‘skip entry’.
  • Skip-Entry: This manoeuvre is designed to pinpoint its landing spot in the Pacific Ocean.

Significance:

• In Artemis II, landing accuracy will help in making sure to retrieve the crew quickly.
• It will also reduce the number of resources that will be needed to be stationed in the Pacific Ocean to assist in recovery.

About Artemis I Mission:

• Artemis I is an uncrewed mission of NASA.
  • Named after the sister of Apollo in Greek mythology, it is NASA's successor to the Apollo lunar missions from fifty years ago.
• It was meant to test the agency’s Space Launch System (SLS) rocket and Orion crew capsule.
  • The SLS is the largest new vertical launch system NASA has created since the Saturn V rockets used in the 1960s and 1970s.
• Artemis I is the first in a series of increasingly complex missions to build a long-term human presence on the Moon for decades to come.
  • The primary goals for Artemis I are to demonstrate Orion’s systems in a spaceflight environment and ensure a safe re-entry, descent, splashdown, and recovery prior to the first flight with crew on Artemis II.

What is the Importance of Artemis I Mission?

• Artemis I is the first step into that new space age of achieving the promise of transporting humans to new worlds, landing and living on other planets, or maybe meeting aliens.
• The CubeSats it will carry are equipped with instruments meant for specific investigations and experiments, including searching for water in all forms and for hydrogen that can be utilized as a source of energy.
• Biology experiments will be carried out, and the impact of deep space atmosphere on humans will be investigated through the effect on dummy ‘passengers’ onboard Orion.

Upcoming Artemis Missions:

• Artemis II: It will take off in 2024.
  • Artemis II will have a crew aboard Orion and will be a test mission to confirm that all of the spacecraft’s systems will operate as designed when it has humans on board.
  • But the Artemis II launch will be similar to that of Artemis I. A crew of four astronauts will be aboard Orion as it and ICPS orbit the Earth twice before moving to the direction of the Moon.
• Artemis III: It is scheduled for 2025, and is expected to ferry astronauts to the moon for the first time since the Apollo missions.