GS Analyst: Daily Current Affairs

Context:

Previously, many people vehemently opposed the Armed Forces Special Powers Act (AFSPA) due to coercion by insurgent groups in the North East. These groups manipulated locals to demand its repeal. Now, those once protesting AFSPA now call for its return.

The Changing Perspective on AFSPA

• About AFSPA: Armed Forces (Special Powers) Act (AFSPA) is a Parliamentary act that grants special powers to the Indian Armed Forces and the state and paramilitary forces in areas classified as “disturbed areas”.
• Trigger Incident: The accidental killing of innocent civilians in Nagaland's incident led to high-level recommendations to withdraw AFSPA from certain North East areas, where insurgency had reduced significantly.
• Reduced Need: As insurgency waned in Assam and other areas, the government sought to withdraw AFSPA where law and order could be maintained by state police or paramilitary forces, allowing the army to focus on border security.

The Evolving Situation in Manipur

• Complex Manipur Scenario: In Manipur, despite historical protests for AFSPA repeal, renewed demands have arisen due to the Manipur police's inability to control escalating violence.
• Army's Non-partisan Role: The Indian Army's impartiality and willingness to assist in disasters have won the confidence of Manipuri people, even as its absence is felt in times of trouble.
• To control situation: The Central government's decision to appoint Col (Retd) Nectar Sanjebam, a hero of the 2015 surgical strike, as Senior Superintendent of Police (Combat) in Manipur Police is seen as a positive move to bridge the gap between the army and Manipur Police.

Way Forward and Potential Implications

• Potential AFSPA Removal: While AFSPA may be removed from some districts in Assam due to improved law and order, Manipur's unique situation necessitates a different approach.
• Indian Army's Role: The Indian Army's vital role in safeguarding the nation's unity and integrity, disaster relief, and counterterrorism efforts is highlighted.
• Hope for Improved Relations: The appointment of Col (Retd) Nectar Sanjebam offers hope for better cooperation between the Indian Army, Assam Rifles, and Manipur Police.

Context:

The e-Shram portal has registered over 280 million unorganized laborers, but there's no comprehensive social security policy at the central or state level.

The Plight of Gig and Platform Workers

• Informal Workforce: India's workforce is divided into formal (9%) and informal (91%) categories. The latter lacks social security benefits, including gig and platform workers.
• Gig Workers' Definition: Gig workers are freelancers paid for services, often with no traditional employer-employee relationship. Platform-based gig workers use apps to connect with clients.
• Challenges of Gig Workers: Many gig workers work long hours without social security benefits, face job insecurity, and have no access to a redressal mechanism for work-related issues.

The Current Situation

• Government Efforts: Rajasthan has enacted a law for the welfare of platform-based gig workers, but it excludes most informal workers.
• Concerns of Gig-Platform Workers: Gig-platform workers lack defined benefits, medical care, protection from hire-and-fire policies, and redressal mechanisms. They often work long hours, leading to personal asset wear and income loss during emergencies.
• Suggested Measures: Enrolling gig-platform workers with unique identity numbers (UINs), linking UINs with employers through AI, collecting a cess from service charges, and creating a social insurance fund are proposed to address these concerns.

Need for Comprehensive Social Security

• Informal Workforce Challenges: 91% of India's workforce lacks core social insurance, including old-age pensions and maternity benefits. Fragmentary solutions, like state-level welfare boards, have not provided core social insurance.
• Proposed Solutions: Suggestions include enrolling gig-platform workers with Uniform Identification Numbers (UIN), collecting a cess from service charges, and creating a social insurance fund.
• Sustainable Development Goals: To address informality and fulfill the Sustainable Development Goals, India needs a comprehensive social security approach. There's a proposed roadmap to achieve this goal in a decade.

Context:

Alarming rates of youth suicides expose the negligence towards country’s children and their emotional needs.

Rising Teen Suicides in Kota

• Alarming Situation: Recent teen suicides in Kota, Rajasthan, known for its intense competition among students preparing for entrance exams, have brought attention to the mental health crisis amongst youth.
• Magnitude of the Issue: India faces a significant issue of youth suicides, with statistics showing it as the leading cause of death among 15 to 30-year-olds In 2020, an alarming 34 students committed suicide daily, with 11,396 child suicides recorded.
• Neglected Concern: Despite the severity of the problem, student and youth suicides often go unnoticed, overshadowed by other news stories. This neglect highlights the failure to address emotional needs and vulnerabilities in society.

Root Causes and Kota's Coaching Industry

• Common Themes in Kota: Many of the students in Kota hail from UP and Bihar, coming from lower-middle-class backgrounds, lured by promises of success and hopes to uplift their families.
• Exploitative Coaching Industry: The Kota coaching industry, valued at Rs.12, 000 crore, prioritizes financial gains and results over student welfare. Students face grueling schedules, excessive competition, and a lack of support systems.
• Lack of Compassion: There is a lack of safe spaces, compassionate faculty, and individualized support for struggling students. The pressure, guilt, and helplessness they experience often lead to tragic outcomes.

Need for Comprehensive Solutions

• Pandemic's Impact on Mental Health: The COVID-19 pandemic has exacerbated mental health issues across communities, bringing attention to the neglected field of mental health in India.
• Increased Budget Allocation: The National Mental Health Programme's budget has increased to Rs.134 crore for 2023-24 from a mere Rs.40 crore before the pandemic.
• Long-Term Engagement Needed: Addressing the crisis requires a comprehensive, ongoing effort involving parents, educators, policymakers, and mental health professionals.

Context:

Nutrition counselling is a simple but powerful strategy as the experience in the Bemetara district in Chhattisgarh showcased recently.

Recognizing Nutrition Counselling

• Simple Solutions, Significant Impact: Simplicity often leads to sophistication, and in addressing malnutrition, counselling people on proper eating and feeding practices can be highly effective.
• Government Efforts: The government has made strides in food security, offering mid-day meals in schools and public distribution of rations. Various state-specific schemes distribute nutritional supplements.
• Need for Nutrition Counselling: While awareness campaigns exist under schemes like POSHAN Abhiyaan, nutrition counselling has not been systematically implemented. Proper training and uniform adoption of nutrition counselling are essential for addressing this gap.

The Bemetara Model

• Malnutrition Paradox: Bemetara, a relatively affluent district in Chhattisgarh, faces severe acute malnutrition despite its agricultural prosperity. This highlights the significance of proper knowledge about feeding practices.
• Potth Laika Abhiyaan: A nutrition counselling program called "Potth Laika Abhiyaan" has been implemented in 72 severely affected Anganwadi Centres (AWCs) in Bemetara. Ground-level staff trained in nutrition counselling educates parents on balanced diets, hygiene, and dispel dietary myths.
• Positive Outcomes: In nine months, this program led to a 53.77% improvement in malnutrition among targeted children. Monitoring and evaluation played a crucial role, making this a cost-effective solution.

Scaling Up Nutrition Counselling Nationwide

• Replication of Success: The Potth Laika Abhiyaan model, combining nutrition counselling with monitoring, should be replicated across districts and states. It's a cost-effective approach with significant positive outcomes.
• Need for Comprehensive Strategy: Providing food to the underprivileged must be complemented by nutrition counselling and monitoring to effectively combat malnutrition.
• Achieving "Kuposhan Mukt Bharat": Implementing nutrition counselling as part of a holistic strategy can help India move closer to its goal of a "Kuposhan Mukt Bharat" (Malnutrition-Free India).