GS Analyst: Daily Current Affairs

Context

India's 2023 G20 presidency is a historic pivot in global governance, emphasizing the theme "Vasudhaiva Kutumbakam" or "The world is one family." This presidency reflects India's efforts to revive, reform, and defend globalisation while prioritizing the concerns of the Global South.

Democratisation and Decentralisation of Global Economy:

• Corrected focus: Under India's G20 leadership, there is a focus on the democratisation and decentralisation of the global economy.
• Emerging threats: Recent geo-economic developments, such as protectionist policies in the United States and the European Union, threaten the interconnected futures of nations.
• Finding solution: Correcting this shift away from the principles of globalisation, which should benefit the poor the most, is crucial for the developing world.

Reforming Global Finance and Fostering Inclusivity:

• Sharpening aim: India's G20 presidency aims to reform global finance, as financial globalisation has stalled since the 2008 crisis.
• Redirecting towards emerging economies: International finance remains centred on older geographies, neglecting emerging economies that will drive global growth. India's G20 presidency seeks to redirect capital towards these emerging economies, fostering equitable global development.
• Inclusiveness: Additionally, India has transformed the G20 into a more inclusive platform, amplifying the voices of marginalized groups and broadening the scope of global governance discussions.

The Global South's Redefined Role:

• Shift towards South: India's G20 presidency marks a historic shift in global governance towards the Global South.
• Complete growth: It reclaims the term "Global South," emphasizing green growth, tech-first development, women-led progress, and inclusive growth.
• Redefining: India's diplomacy, diverse scholar community, and warm hospitality have redefined the Global South as pathfinders for a greener, digital, and equitable future, challenging past reductionist narratives.

Context

The current era is marked by moral decay, where leaders fail to uphold their pledges, majoritarianism thrives, and communal harmony is overshadowed by political divisions. A sense of justice, freedom, and humanism seems distant as societal values shift.

Erosion of Moral Values

• Leaders' Pledge Failures: Moral values have eroded, and political leaders are not held accountable for their unfulfilled promises.
• Dominance of Majoritarianism: Majoritarianism is prevalent in government actions, leading to divisions in society.
• Shift from Communal Harmony to Individualism: The shared living ideal of communal harmony has given way to a more individualistic mindset, diminishing acts of communal goodwill.

Decline in Compassion and Justice

• Criticism of Acts of Compassion: Acts of compassion like Yogita Bhayana helping a Muslim man face criticism in a polarized society.
• Diminished Communal Harmony: Acts of communal goodwill are increasingly met with sarcasm and indifference.
• Changing Value System: The value system has shifted, making communal harmony less cherished.

Normalization of Injustice

• Public Humiliation of Women: Instances of public humiliation of women in Manipur and inaction regarding it.
• Historical Injustices vs. Present-Day Issues: Historical injustices are more vehemently addressed than present-day issues.
• Society's Propensity to Forget: Society tends to forget and move on, emboldening intolerant non-state actors to perpetrate violence.

Context

The 'one nation one election' proposal by the Indian government is being criticized as deeply flawed and unfeasible. Arguments are being made that the government's reasons for pushing this proposal are fallacious and suggests that it is merely a distraction from other pressing issues.

Flawed Proposal and Fallacious Reasons

• Critique: The 'one nation one election' proposal is deemed flawed and unworkable, serving as a distraction from other pressing issues.
• Questioning the 'Permanent Campaign' Argument: The government's argument that India is in a 'permanent campaign' due to frequent elections is challenged. However, not all states have elections simultaneously, so it doesn't affect the entire nation at once.
• National Parties' Prioritization: It questions the notion that national parties are under constant election pressure, emphasizing that if these parties choose to prioritize elections over governance, it's their issue, not the nation's.

Attack on Federalism and Misleading Arguments

• Undermining India's Federalism: The proposal is criticized for attacking India's federalism, as it would take away the power of state Chief Ministers to recommend early elections.
• Debunking the Simultaneous Elections Argument: The idea of reverting to simultaneous elections, as seen between 1951-52 and 1967, is debunked as a happenstance rather than a deliberate design, and it's argued that India's political diversity requires flexibility.
• Cost-Saving Deception: Cost-saving is another argument put forth for the proposal, but the article counters this by stating that the savings are minimal, and the government could save more by cutting other expenditures.

Impractical and Ideological Divide

• Practical Challenges and Constitutional Viability: The proposal is characterized as politically unfeasible, administratively unworkable, and constitutionally unviable.
• Lack of Faith in India's Federal Democratic Structure: The government's pursuit of this idea is portrayed as a lack of faith in India's federal democratic structure, highlighting the ideological divide in Indian politics between a unified nation and diverse states.
• Unitarism under the Guise of Efficiency: Such an approach seeks to impose unitarism under the guise of efficiency.

Context

Given the interconnection between gender equality and environmental goals, addressing both issues together can accelerate the achievement of the Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs).

Disproportionate Impact on Women

• Climate Change Consequences: Climate change has varying consequences based on location, socioeconomic status, and gender.
• Productivity Loss and Vulnerability: An International Labour Organization study predicted a significant loss of working hours due to high temperatures, affecting productivity globally. It is to be noted that women are considered highly vulnerable and disproportionately affected by climate change.
• Vulnerability of Women in Developing Countries: Women in low-income countries, especially those in rural areas, are particularly vulnerable to climate change due to their reliance on natural resources and labor-intensive work for their livelihoods. Poverty, among other variables, makes them more susceptible to climate change's effects.

Gender-Specific Challenges

• Unequal Burden on Women: Women bear the unequal burden of obtaining basic necessities like clean water and fuel.
• Vulnerable Occupations: Women in low-income countries are more likely to engage in climate-vulnerable occupations such as agriculture, where they are often underpaid and overworked. Despite being essential to food production, women own a minimal percentage of farmland.
• Displacement and Gender-Specific Issues: When climate-related disasters occur, a majority of those displaced are women and girls. This displacement makes them vulnerable to prejudice, exploitation, gender-based violence, and limited access to essential services.

Empowering Women for Climate Resilience

• Exacerbating Gender Inequality: Climate change exacerbates poverty and vulnerabilities among women, potentially pushing 130 million people into poverty by 2050.
• Investing in Women's Education and Training: To build resilience to climate change, investments in women's education, training, and access to resources are crucial. Empowering them with knowledge and sustainable practices can mitigate the negative impacts.
• Gender-Inclusive Climate Policy: Women's active participation in climate policy decision-making is essential. Gender parity in decision-making bodies is crucial for effective climate change mitigation and adaptation strategies. Initiatives like the Gender and Climate Change Development Programme aim to amplify women's voices in policymaking.