GS Analyst: Daily Current Affairs

Context:

The Hoysala temples in Karnataka (Belur, Halebid, Somanathapur) are now UNESCO World Heritage Sites, showcasing their cultural importance, however there is a need for directives to their preservation challenges.

Challenges in Preserving Historical Monuments

• Diverse Ownership and Protection: With 609 ASI-protected, 848 state-protected, and many religious sites, ensuring preservation remains challenging.
• Slow Documentation Process: Despite efforts, the documentation of heritage sites in Karnataka is slow due to limited funding. This gradual approach puts many monuments at risk from developmental pressures.
• Community Integration Needed: Many monuments aren't standalone; they coexist with local communities. Traditional protection methods won't suffice, necessitating a community-centric conservation approach.

Public-Private Partnerships for Conservation

• Religious Heritage and PPP: Given the religious nature of many sites, Karnataka's DAMH promotes Public-Private Partnerships (PPP) for conservation, involving private sector funding and local community contributions.
• Success and Expansion: The PPP model has conserved over 150 monuments in a decade. Expanding this model is crucial, as DAMH faces resource limitations with a small team and limited budget.
• 'Adopt a Monument' Scheme: Karnataka's 'Adopt a Monument' scheme aims to engage the public and institutions in heritage preservation, broadening stakeholders' involvement and strengthening heritage awareness.

Socioeconomic Development through Conservation

• Popular vs. Lesser-Known Sites: Existing corporate involvement often prioritizes popular monuments. The challenge lies in securing funding for lesser-known sites and leveraging conservation for local community socioeconomic development.
• Heritage as a Tool: Encouraging public and corporate involvement in conserving heritage should be seen as a tool to uplift local communities economically and preserve cultural riches.
• Preservation: The need for preservation can be addressed by community participation.

Context:

A recent report by Moody’s organization on global digital IDs brings Aadhaar’s limitations, risks back into focus.

Moody's Concerns over India's Aadhaar Program

• Moody's Warning: Moody's report raises concerns about India's centralized digital ID system, Aadhaar, citing security and privacy risks.
• Biometric Authentication Issues: The report questions the reliability of Aadhaar's biometric authentication, particularly in hot, humid conditions, and highlights instances of service denials.
• Historical Concerns: An earlier audit by the Comptroller and Auditor General of India identified privacy risks and enrollment flaws.

Benefits and Challenges of Aadhaar

• Aadhaar's Ubiquity: Aadhaar has become integral for accessing welfare benefits, opening bank accounts, securing phone connections, and more.
• Benefits: It enables direct benefit transfers, eliminating fraud and middlemen.
• Exclusion and Authentication Challenges: Despite its benefits, Aadhaar has also excluded some individuals from essential services due to lack of enrollment or authentication difficulties, particularly among manual laborers and senior citizens.

Way forward:

• Decentralization of Aadhar: Moody’s report advocates decentralized ID systems that empower users with greater control over their data.
• Significance: This observation is significant given Aadhaar's role in MGNREGA payments.
• Call for Review: The government should review and address Aadhaar's flaws, especially regarding privacy and biometric reliability, before further expanding its usage in areas like electoral rolls and private entities.

Context:

India's slow progress in achieving gender equality in politics is concernable and there is a need for better women's representation.

Empowering Women in Indian Politics

• Slow Progress: Progress has been slow, with only 15.2% women MPs in Lok Sabha, ranking 141st globally.
• Global Comparison: Globally, countries have achieved better female political representation through legislated quotas or voluntary party policies.
• Political Parties' Role: Political parties play a vital role; they've been hesitant to field more women candidates despite ample opportunities.

Challenges:

• Less women representation: India's political landscape, though constitutionally promoting gender equality, has seen limited female representation.
• Quota alone is not sufficient: India's 33% quota may not suffice without prompt implementation.
• Lesser political will: Political Parties must embrace change for better representation.

Quotas and their Implementation

• Effectiveness of Quotas: Internationally, electoral quotas for women have proven effective, but only when implemented sincerely. Mexico and Costa Rica serve as examples with top-ranking female representation.
• India's Unique Challenges: India's quota policy differs, but challenges exist. Reservation should not become a ceiling, and parties must actively promote gender diversity.
• Political Parties' Responsibility: Indian political parties must step up by nominating more women candidates, tapping into India's potential for enhanced female political representation.

Context:

The Anantnag incident occurred due to the Army's misconception that revoking Article 370 had resolved the Kashmir issue and underestimated Pakistan's capabilities.

Political Agenda in Military Strategy

• Recent Propaganda: The government's manipulation and aimed to cast Pakistan as a consistent threat is a move of distracting the military and civilian population from other critical issues.
• Vote Bank Consolidation: The success of the Army in CT ops boosted political national image, making it more receptive to political objectives.
• Alignment with Government: Steps like praising CT ops and fortifying the Line of Control fence further aligned the military with the government's political agenda, sidelining concerns about Pakistan's cross-border terrorism.

Challenges in Deterrence and Military Mindset

• Neglecting Deterrence: Instead of building credible deterrence against Pakistan, the Indian Army prioritized CT ops, which aligned with the government's political stance.
• Media-Military Nexus: The government used mainstream media to promote its narrative, discouraging criticism. It portrayed Pakistan as the primary threat and, through subtle manipulation, contributed to communalization.
• Belief in Propaganda: The Indian Army's belief in government propaganda, portraying Pakistan as a walkover and China as non-threatening, led to a disconnect from actual geopolitical realities in the region.

Impact on Geopolitical Realities

• Geopolitical Disconnect: The military's misbelief in its own propaganda hinders its ability to understand and respond effectively to actual geopolitical threats, including those posed by Pakistan and China.
• National Security: The emphasis on CT ops over building credible deterrence compromises India's national security by diverting focus from necessary military preparedness.
• Communication Gap: The disconnect between the military's perception and actual geopolitical realities poses challenges in formulating an effective national security strategy.