GS Analyst: Daily Current Affairs

Bhagat Singh's birth anniversary (September 28) is being commemorated, prompting discussions about his legacy and ideological contributions beyond his portrayal as a mere revolutionary figure. The media is reflecting on his multifaceted personality and thoughts, emphasizing the importance of understanding his philosophies in the context of contemporary issues.

Who Was Bhagat Singh (1907-1931)?

• Bhagat Singh was born on September 28, 1907 in the village of Banga in Lyallpurdistrict (present-day Faisalabad, Pakistan).
• He was an influential Indian revolutionary, great patriot, socialist revolutionary and freedom fighter known for his activism against British colonial rule.
• He supported Mahatma Gandhi in the Non-Cooperation Movement and was affected by the Jallianwala Bagh massacre (1919) and the violence against unarmed Akali protestors at Nankana Sahib (1921). 
• He founded the Naujawan Bharat Sabha in the year 1926 to encourage the peasants and workers to fight against British rule. He was the secretary of that organisation.
• Singh joined the Kirti Kisan Party in 1926 in Lahore. He started writing for ‘Kirti’ and wrote against the atrocities of the British.
• In 1928, the Hindustan Socialist Association (HSRA) was also established by him, along with Sukhdev, Chandrasekhar Azad and others.
• The main events which changed the course of the life of Bhagat Singh leading to his early martyrdom at the age of 23 were the –
  • the Rowlatt Act
  • the Jallianwala Bagh massacre
  • the Non-Cooperation Movement
  • the event at Chauri-Chaura
  • the Kakori Train Conspiracy
  • the Central Assembly bombing at Delhi
• In 1931, Singh was executed (along with his comrades, Sukhdev Thapar and Shivaram Rajguru) at the age of 23 for murdering British police officer John Saunders, becoming a martyr and an icon of resistance against imperialism in India.
• His Ideologies and Contributions
• Universal Brotherhood: Singh emphasized the concept of universal love and equality, advocating for a world without class divisions and communal strife. His early writings reflected his vision of a harmonious society where economic disparities and conflicts were eradicated.
• Critique of Religion and Faith: An outspoken atheist, Singh viewed organized religion as a barrier to social progress. He argued for a rational approach to life, challenging traditional beliefs that hindered humanity's advancement.
• Political Activism and Youth Engagement: He strongly believed that students should engage in political activism. Singh argued that education must encompass an understanding of socio-political conditions, encouraging youth to actively participate in the struggle for their rights.
• Social Justice and Untouchability: Singh addressed the plight of untouchables and marginalized communities, urging them to recognize their historical contributions and unite for social and political emancipation.
• Revolutionary Thought: His writings articulated a clear vision for revolution, advocating for the complete overthrow of the existing social order in favor of a socialist framework. He saw revolution as essential for societal progress, opposing complacency and advocating for continuous change.
• Romanticism and Human Emotion: Beyond his political writings, Singh valued human emotions, particularly love, as a transformative force in personal and political life. He believed that true love could elevate human character and strengthen individuals in the face of adversity.
• Eclectic Literary Influences: Singh's intellectual development was shaped by a diverse range of influences, including Marxism, anarchism, and various literary figures. His writings reflect a deep engagement with global revolutionary thought, positioning him as a thinker of international significance.

The Finance Ministry's recent economic review has flagged signs of weakening urban consumption, prompting the need for close monitoring. While India’s economic momentum remains robust, driven by domestic consumption and investment, this development raises critical questions about the broader implications for the economy.

What is Urban Consumption?

• Urban consumption refers to the total goods and services consumed by individuals and households living in urban areas.
• It encompasses various expenditures, including food, housing, transportation, healthcare, and entertainment.
• As urban areas tend to have higher disposable incomes and access to diverse goods and services, urban consumption plays a vital role in driving economic growth.

Importance of Consumption in the Economy

Consumption is a key component of Gross Domestic Product (GDP), typically accounting for a significant portion of overall economic activity. Here’s how it impacts the economy:

• Economic Growth: Increased consumption drives demand for goods and services, stimulating production and, consequently, economic growth. Businesses respond to higher demand by expanding operations, which can lead to job creation.
• Investment Decisions: Strong consumer spending signals businesses to invest in capacity expansion, thereby enhancing productivity and innovation.
• Government Revenues: Higher consumption translates to increased sales tax and other revenue streams for the government, allowing for more public spending on infrastructure and services.

• Business Confidence: Healthy consumption levels boost investor and business confidence, encouraging long-term investments.

Current Economic Landscape

The Finance Ministry’s report indicates a concerning trend in urban consumption, particularly evident in the following areas:

• Lower Capital Expenditure: States have reduced their capital expenditures, which can slow down infrastructure development and economic activity.
• Moderation in Passenger Vehicle Sales: A decline in vehicle sales, coupled with rising inventory levels, suggests that consumers are becoming more cautious in their spending. This trend may indicate potential weaknesses in urban consumption patterns.

While these signs warrant monitoring, the ministry remains optimistic about the overall economic outlook for 2024-25. It maintains a real GDP growth projection of 6.5% to 7%, buoyed by robust domestic consumption and investment.

External Economic Factors

The ministry highlights several external factors influencing India’s economic landscape:

• Global Economic Uncertainties: The continuing uncertainty in global economic prospects poses challenges, including fears of recession in advanced economies and geopolitical conflicts.
• Low Oil Prices: Although low oil prices benefit India by reducing import bills, they come amidst potential corrections in booming stock markets worldwide, which could have spillover effects on the Indian economy.

Inflation and Agricultural Outlook

• Inflation remains stable at 3.7% as of August, supported by benign core inflation and favorable monsoon conditions.
• Adequate reservoir levels are expected to boost rabi crop outputs, which will further strengthen rural incomes and demand.
• However, uneven rainfall could affect agricultural productivity in some regions.

A recent meeting between Rajasthan and Madhya Pradesh Chief Ministers addressed the implementation of the Parbati-Kalisindh-Chambal river linking project, which aims to resolve a long-standing dispute between Madhya Pradesh and Rajasthan.

What is the PKC link project?

• The Parbati-Kalisindh-Chambal (PKC) link project is one of the 30 links included in the National Perspectives Plan formulated by the erstwhile Union Ministry of Irrigation (now Ministry of Water Resources) and the Central Water Commission in the year 1980.
• As per the National Water Development Agency (NWDA), the preliminary feasibility report of the Kalisindh-Chambal link canal project was prepared and circulated to the states concerned in September 1991.
  • The report proposed diversion of water from river Newaj (a tributary of Kalisindh) and Kalisindh to the river Chambal at either the Rana Pratap Sagar dam or the Gandhi Sagar dam.
• Rajasthan came up with the proposal of the ERCP in 2019, and to utilise water resources optimally, the Task Force for Interlinking of Rivers (TFILR) discussed its merger with the PKC link project.
• This integration was approved by the Special Committee for Interlinking of Rivers in December 2022.
• Modified PKC-ERCP: The Modified Parbati-Kalisindh-Chambal-ERCP (Modified PKC-ERCP) Link Project is an inter-state river linking project.
• Preparations for a Detailed Project Report (DPR) on this are on.
• Based on the outcome of the DPR, a Memorandum of Agreement (MoA) will be finalised among Rajasthan, Madhya Pradesh, and the Centre, covering the sharing of water, exchange of water, sharing of costs and benefits, implementation mechanisms, arrangements for management and control of water in the Chambal basin, etc.

Eastern Rajasthan Canal Project (ERCP)

• ERCP is aimed at intra-basin transfer of water within the Chambal basin, by utilising surplus monsoon water available in Kalisindh, Parvati, Mej and Chakan subbasins and diverting it into water deficit sub-basins of Banas, Gambhiri, Banganga and Parbati.
• This will provide drinking and industrial water to 13 districts of eastern Rajasthan, namely Alwar, Bharatpur, Dholpur, Karauli, Sawai-Madhopur, Dausa, Jaipur, Ajmer, Tonk, Bundi, Kota, Baran, and Jhalawar.

The United States Justice Department filed USD 100 million claim over Baltimore Bridge collapse.

About the Bridge

• Baltimore's Francis Scott Key Bridge collapsed after a container ship smashed into a pylon.
• The Francis Scott Key Bridge was one of three ways to cross the Baltimore Harbor and handled 31,000 cars per day or 11.3 million vehicles a year.
• The steel structure is four lanes wide and sits 185 feet (56 meters) above the river.
• It opened in 1977 and crosses the Patapsco River.
• The bridge leads to the Port of Baltimore, the deepest harbor in Maryland's Chesapeake Bay.
• Reason behind the collapse:The metal truss-style bridge has a suspended deck, a design that contributed to its collapse. The ship appeared to hit a main concrete pier, which rests on soil underwater and is part of the foundation.

India has been elected to the fifteen-member steering committee of the GlobE Network following a multi-stage voting process during a plenary session in Beijing.

What is GlobE Network?

• The Global Operational Network of Anti-Corruption Law Enforcement Authorities (GlobE Network) is an initiative launched under the G20 framework to address international corruption and financial crime.
• India’s election to the steering committee will allow it to actively contribute to global efforts in combating corruption and facilitating asset recovery.
• The GlobE Network provides a platform for international cooperation, enhancing the ability of member countries to address cross-border corruption and financial crime.
  • India has been a supporter of this initiative since 2020, with the network officially launched on June 3, 2021, during a UN General Assembly Special Session against Corruption (UNGASS).
• The network enables global agencies to exchange best practices, share criminal intelligence, and devise strategies to combat corruption.
• It is led by a chair, vice-chair, and thirteen committee members who provide guidance to the organization.
• Today, the GlobE Network includes 121 member countries and 219 member authorities.
• The Ministry of Home Affairs (MHA) serves as the Central Authority for GlobE Network in India, while the CBI and Enforcement Directorate (ED) represent India as member authorities.
• During India’s G20 Presidency in 2023, two key principles for combating corruption were adopted, focusing on the use of the GlobE Network to further global anti-corruption efforts.

The Assam government has recently recognized 1951 as the cut-off year for implementing key recommendations from the Justice (Retd) Biplab Sharma Committee concerning Clause 6 of the Assam Accord. This decision follows discussions aimed at enhancing protections for the indigenous people of Assam and marks a significant step in addressing long-standing demands for safeguarding cultural and linguistic rights.

What is the Assam Accord?

• The Assam Accord, signed in 1985, seeks to protect the political, cultural, and economic rights of the Assamese people.
• Clause 6 specifically mandates constitutional safeguards to promote and preserve the identity and heritage of Assam’s indigenous populations.
• Justice Biplab Sharma Committee: Established in 2019, the committee aimed to explore effective ways to implement Clause 6. It emphasized identifying "Assamese People" based on roots established before January 1, 1951, a reference linked to historical census data used for the National Register of Citizens (NRC).
• Significance of the 1951 Cut-Off Year: The selection of 1951 as a cut-off year aligns with the definition of indigenous populations identified in the 1951 census.
  • This approach is intended to establish clear criteria for recognizing who qualifies as an "Assamese" for various protections, although it is specified that this criterion will not impact areas such as voting or employment.

Key Recommendations and Implementation

The government has begun implementing 52 recommendations from the committee, including:

• Land Rights: Designation of restricted land ownership for "Assamese people" and a program for granting land titles to long-time occupants.
• Language Policy: Assamese will be maintained as the official language, with compulsory teaching in schools, alongside provisions for regional languages.
• Cultural Heritage: Establishment of an authority for the development of cultural sites and support for preserving indigenous cultural practices.

However, some proposals, such as introducing an Inner Line Permit (ILP) and significant reservations for Assamese people in political and employment spheres, have not been adopted.

28 September is observed as the World Rabies Day. This year’s "Breaking Rabies Boundaries" highlights that One Health is not for a selected few but for everyone.

About Rabies

• Rabies is a vaccine-preventable, zoonotic, viral disease affecting the central nervous system.
• Transmission: In up to 99% of the human rabies cases, dogs are responsible for virus transmission. 
• It is an RNA virus of the rhabdovirus family that can affect the body in one of two ways.
  • It can enter the peripheral nervous system directly and migrate to the brain.
  • It can also replicate within muscle tissue. From here, it enters the nervous system through the neuromuscular junctions.
• Once inside the nervous system, the virus produces acute inflammationof the brain
• Types:
  • Furious or encephalitic rabies: A person with it is more likely to experience hyperactivity and hydrophobia.
  • Paralytic or “dumb” rabies: It causes paralysis as a dominant symptom.
• Vaccines: Newer rabies immunoglobulin (Rabies Ig) and the rabies vaccine are essential for post-exposure prophylaxis (PEP) against rabies.
  • Rabies Ig is specifically used for category 3 bites, which involve severe exposure such as transdermal bites or scratches, and provides immediate protection by supplying ready-made antibodies.
• Situation in India: Rabies in India, as of 2021, caused 59,000 deaths, representing 33% of the global total.
  • Notably, 96% of these fatalities resulted from dog bites.
  • The overall economic cost of dog-mediated Rabies was estimated to be $8.6 billion.

The pension system in India is under scrutiny as discussions around the proposed Unified Pension Scheme (UPS) gain momentum. This comes amid a broader global retreat from neoliberal policies and a resurgence of calls for welfarism, highlighting the need for effective pension security for retirees.

Transition from OPS to NPS

• Old Pension Scheme (OPS): The OPS, operational before 2004, guaranteed a defined benefit pension based on the last drawn salary, ensuring financial security and stability for retirees, insulated from market fluctuations.
• New Pension Scheme (NPS): Introduced in 2004, the NPS shifted to a defined-contribution model where both employees and the government contribute to a market-linked pension fund, exposing retirees to market volatility and diminishing state responsibility.
• Criticism of NPS: The NPS has faced backlash for leaving retirees vulnerable to economic downturns, eroding the security previously offered by the OPS, and reflecting a neoliberal trend that prioritizes market forces over social welfare.

Return to Welfarism

• Global Context: The retreat from neoliberalism post-2008 financial crisis has highlighted the need for stronger social safety nets, with the COVID-19 pandemic further amplifying demands for enhanced state intervention in welfare policies.
• Unified Pension Scheme (UPS): The UPS aims to provide universal pensions while balancing state involvement and market participation, yet it remains in preliminary stages requiring significant adjustments.
• Critique of UPS: The UPS may promise retirement payouts but offers lower returns than the OPS, exposes retirees to market risks, and has limitations like requiring 25 years of service for a full pension, disadvantaging late entrants.

Need for Structural Reforms

• Government Contribution: The UPS's hybrid model necessitates a re-evaluation of government contributions to effectively mitigate market risks and establish a balanced pension system.
• Inclusivity of UPS: The scheme currently excludes many public sector workers, such as teachers, and must extend its coverage to the informal workforce, ensuring pension security for all citizens, not just government employees.
• Welfare System Rethink: The evolving pension landscape provides an opportunity to reassess India's pension system, aiming for a balanced approach that protects retirees from market forces while enhancing state responsibility in welfare provisions.

Practice Question

Q. Critically analyze the implications of transitioning from the Old Pension Scheme (OPS) to the New Pension Scheme (NPS) in India, and evaluate the potential of the proposed Unified Pension Scheme (UPS) in addressing the challenges faced by retirees in the context of global shifts towards welfarism.

The United Nations General Assembly has unanimously approved a significant political declaration to enhance global efforts against antimicrobial resistance (AMR). This declaration aims to address a critical health threat that could reverse decades of medical advancements, potentially leading to the resurgence of easily treatable infections.

Threat of AMR

• Medical Progress at Risk: Antimicrobial resistance threatens to undo a century of medical progress, endangering treatments for infections that are currently manageable. Without intervention, we could return to a pre-antibiotic era.
• Causes of AMR: The primary drivers of AMR include the misuse and overuse of antimicrobial medicines, which render microbes resistant and increase the lethality of infections. This crisis not only impacts individual health but also poses a systemic risk to healthcare facilities.
• Impact on LMICs: Low- and middle-income countries (LMICs) face the brunt of AMR due to inadequate healthcare systems, limited resources, and poor access to sanitation and effective treatments, resulting in high rates of post-surgical infections.

Global and Local Challenges

• Conflict Zones: AMR exacerbates medical challenges in conflict areas such as Gaza, Sudan, and Ukraine, complicating the treatment of injuries and increasing resistance rates among injured patients. The spread of drug-resistant infections from these zones poses a broader global health risk.
• Lack of Resources: In LMICs, access to antimicrobial medicines, vaccines, and diagnostic tools is severely limited. This not only increases the risk of drug-resistant infections but also hampers the ability to effectively treat them.
• Research and Development Lag: Despite the urgent need for new antibiotics, research and development have stagnated, with only 13 new antibiotics authorized since mid-2017. This slow progress highlights the inadequacy of current efforts to combat AMR.

Political Commitment and Economic Impact

• Key Commitments from the Declaration: The new declaration outlines essential targets, including reducing deaths from drug-resistant infections by 10% by 2030 and ensuring that a significant majority of antibiotics used globally belong to safer categories.
• Investment and Returns: The economic case for addressing AMR is compelling, with estimates indicating potential healthcare costs could reach $412 billion annually due to inaction. Effective interventions could yield a return of $7 to $13 for every dollar invested.
• Human Impact Stories: Personal accounts from individuals affected by AMR, like Ella and John, underscore the real-life consequences of this crisis. Their experiences highlight the urgent need for a comprehensive and humane response to AMR.

Practice Question

Q. What are the implications of antimicrobial resistance (AMR) on global health systems, particularly in low- and middle-income countries? What strategies should be implemented to combat AMR effectively?

The Supreme Court of India has issued a strong reprimand to judges for making casual remarks that reflect communal bias or misogyny. This comes in light of recent instances involving a Karnataka High Court judge. It shows the need for accountability and sensitivity within the judicial system, particularly given the live-streaming of court proceedings.

Reprimand for Judges

• Judicial Accountability: The Supreme Court emphasized the necessity for judges to refrain from making casual observations that may reveal personal biases, particularly regarding gender and religion, during court proceedings.
• Suo Motu Cognizance: The Court took suo motu notice of derogatory comments made by Karnataka High Court Judge towards a woman lawyer and previously labeling a locality as ‘Pakistan’, reinforcing the expectation of neutrality and fairness in judicial conduct.
• Impact on Judicial Integrity: Such remarks can tarnish the image of the judiciary and undermine public confidence in the legal system, urging judges to adhere strictly to constitutional values.

Responses and Reactions

• Judge's Apology: Following the Court’s intervention, Judge offered an apology, which the Supreme Court deemed contrite, but it also underscored the need for ongoing scrutiny of judges’ conduct in public settings.
• Advice from Legal Officials: Both the Attorney General and Solicitor General suggested that proceedings be held privately to prevent misrepresentation on social media; however, the CJI countered that transparency is essential, stating, “The answer to sunlight is more sunlight.”
• Previous Warnings: This is not an isolated incident; the Supreme Court had previously warned another judge from the Punjab and Haryana High Court to refrain from making unwarranted remarks, showcasing a pattern of concern regarding judicial comments.

Gender Sensitization in Judiciary

• Combatting Gender Stereotypes: The Supreme Court has previously released a handbook aimed at combating gender stereotypes within the judiciary, providing tools for legal professionals to address and eliminate gender bias in their language and practices.
• Need for Gender Sensitization: The Court highlighted the importance of a gender-sensitive judicial ecosystem, stressing that biases based on gender or religion perpetuate harmful inequalities and hinder the delivery of justice.
• Judiciary’s Role in Society: Judicial officials must maintain awareness of their influence on societal norms and strive to ensure that the justice system operates free from bias, thereby promoting equality and fairness.

Practice Question 

Q. Discuss the implications of communal and gender biases in judicial remarks for the integrity of the Indian legal system. What measures can be implemented to promote gender sensitization and accountability among judges?