MAINS DAILY QUESTIONS & MODEL ANSWERS
Q1. Do you think it is reasonable to judge the effectiveness of the legislative process by the number of bills the legislature passes? Analyse it critically.
GS II – Parliament-related issues
- Legislative productivity is the ratio of the number of laws passed by legislators to the total number of laws proposed. According to a recent estimate, the Rajya Sabha achieved 82.7% productivity in just 33 sittings.
It is accurate to say that production is correlated with the number of laws passed:
- Since passing laws is the legislature’s main objective, productivity rises as more bills are passed.
- More significant is a draft law that was created after considerable consultation with different parties.
- Parliament is viewed as a house of mediocrities that does not significantly contribute. Shorter conversations at home are therefore preferred. Over time, the public’s perception of the worth of laws has changed as a result of the actions of the legislative members.
- It is true that maintaining order in a large home can be difficult.
- Furthermore, not all parties or points of view are sufficiently represented in the chaos that legislatures produce.
- However, the sheer number of legislation passed does not mean that the Parliament or the state legislature has fully complied with its duties.
The following are some drawbacks of this approach to measuring legislative productivity:
- Passing laws without discussion has the risk of reducing public discourse on important issues and lowering government accountability.
- The federal system is impacted by the fact that Parliament, and notably Rajya Sabha, is mandated to serve the interests of the state. The discussion with the state legislators is weakened.
- Citizens are unable to learn about government operations, resulting in a loss of accountability and openness.
- A decline in support for using the legislature as a voice for the people.
- The act of passing legislation through ordinances or other channels without consulting select or joint committees is known as the misuse of power.
- If the administration has not thoroughly consulted the stakeholder group about a proposed law, the legislature is the last choice for any faulty legislation.
- Deliberations in the Legislature are necessary as a result. More regularly utilizing committee methods will help the chaotic environment. Wudrow Wilson once said, “Congress (Legislatrue) in committee is Congress (Legislatrue) at work. Congress (Legislatrue) in session is Congress (Legislatrue) in exhibition.”
Conclusion:
- Therefore, there must be enough possibilities for discussion in legislatures, which serve as the cornerstone of every democracy. However, if they are unsuccessful, the remedy is to make them productive by improving discussion methods and making efficient use of committee instruments, as opposed to depriving them of those possibilities.
Q2. Describe the concept of multidimensional poverty in detail. What actions have been taken in India to solve this issue?
GS II – Poverty related issues
- The Oxford Poverty & Human Development Initiative (OPHI) and the United Nations Development Programme (UNDP) created the Global Multidimensional Poverty Index (MPI) in 2010, which measures poverty in three different ways: health, education, and standard of living. Multidimensional poverty refers to the range of hardships that impoverished people face on a daily basis, including poor health, a lack of education, subpar living conditions, lack of power, low-quality employment, the fear of violence, etc.
The following actions have been taken by the government to address the multifaceted nature of poverty:
Education:
- The New Education Policy 2020 emphasizes the value of equitable and inclusive education and focuses on delivering quality education to all, regardless of their socioeconomic background or location. It supports the use of technology, innovation, and education research.
- The Sarva Shiksha Abhiyan, Scheme of Vocational Education, Mahila Samakhya Program, and scholarship programs for underprivileged populations are just a few of the government’s recent initiatives.
- SWAYAM (Study Webs of Active-Learning for Young Aspiring Minds), which aims to achieve access, equity, and quality as the three guiding principles of educational policy, is designed to do so.
Statistics on child deaths:
- The India Newborn Action Plan (INAP) was unveiled in 2014 with the aim of achieving the goals of a single-digit newborn mortality rate and a single-digit stillbirth rate by 2030.
- The Reproductive, Maternal, Child and Adolescent Health program (RMNCH+A) provides coverage for all interventions related to reproductive, maternal, new-born, child, and adolescent health.
- While the Universal Immunization Program (UIP) delivers vaccines to children against life-threatening diseases, Mission Indradhanush and Intensified Mission Indradhanush work to immunize children who are either unvaccinated or just partially vaccinated.
- The Janani Suraksha Yojana (JSY) and Janani Shishu Suraksha Karyakaram (JSSK) have been put into place to encourage institutional deliveries through financial incentives.
- On a specific day, all expectant mothers who take part in the Pradhan Mantri Surakshit Matritva Abhiyan (PMSMA) receive thorough, high-quality antenatal care.
Measures for providing nutrition:
- To improve the nutritional outcomes for kids, the government is putting into effect a number of initiatives under the Integrated Child Development Services (ICDS) Scheme, such as the Pradhan Mantri Matru Vandana Yojana (PMMVY), the Scheme for Adolescent Girls, and Anganwadi Services.
- Iron and folic acid (IFA) supplements are given to prevent anemia, and ASHA employees visit families to promote exclusive breastfeeding.
Raising the standard of living includes the following:
- Enhancing solid waste management and putting a stop to open defecation are the goals of Swachh Bharat Mission (SBM).
- In order to provide low- and moderate-income inhabitants of the country with access to affordable housing, the Pradhan Mantri Awas Yojna was created.
- The Smart Communities Mission is to support neighbourhoods that provide bare-bones infrastructure, equitable living arrangements for residents, a healthy and sustainable environment, and the use of “Smart” solutions.
- Given India’s accomplishments, additional measures include efforts to accelerate economic growth, the development of human resources, and the introduction of Universal Basic Income can assist India in achieving its SDG 1 goal, which is to end all forms of poverty. Within just 15 years, 415 million people in India were lifted out of poverty.
