MAINS DAILY QUESTIONS & MODEL ANSWERS
Q1. Should the requirements for Indian states to receive special category status (SCS) be reviewed? Analyse critically.
GS II – Inter-State Relations
Introduction:
- The designation known as Special Category Status (SCS) was implemented by the central government to aid in the development of states that encounter topographical and socioeconomic challenges. Based on the Fifth Finance Commission’s 1969 recommendations, this classification was carried out. It was predicated on the Gadgil equation.
- A resolution requesting Special Category Status (SCS) for Bihar was recently voted by the Bihar Cabinet in response to the survey’s results, which showed the state’s extreme poverty.
Several standards are used to award SCS, including:
- The justification for special status is that certain states have low resource bases due to natural characteristics and are unable to mobilise resources for development.
The benefit must go to the state that is experiencing a shortage of resources. The primary requirements are:
- low income per person
- The unviability of state finances
- a sizable tribal population exists
- steep and challenging terrain
- A site that is strategically placed near international borders
Low density of inhabitants:
- must have inadequate infrastructure and be economically backward.
- States that are given special category status benefit in a number of ways:
- preferential consideration for obtaining central funding.
- excise duty concession in an effort to draw businesses to the state.
- Significantly, special category states receive 30% of the center’s gross budget.
- Programmes for debt alleviation and exchanging are available to these states.
- Special Category States receive 90% of foreign aid in the form of grants and 10% in the form of loans under Centrally Sponsored Schemes.
- A Special Category Status encourages private investment, creates jobs, and brings in more money for the state.
- Furthermore, as the Centre pays 90% of the costs associated with all Centrally Sponsored Schemes, the State can use the additional savings to fund more welfare-based initiatives.
Problems with SCS standing:
- The 14th Finance Commission recommended eliminating the “special category” designation for states, with the exception of the three hill states and the northeastern state.
- The NDA administration, which took office in 2014, has maintained that Andhra Pradesh is not entitled to this kind of treatment under the 14th Finance Commission.
- It was never addressed in the Constitution, which seems to have served as the commission’s guide. The Constitution treats every state equally and never treats any of them differently.
- No authority to distribute funds: NITI Aayog, the organisation that took over for the Planning Commission, is not able to distribute monies. As a result, the ruling party at the Centre no longer has the authority to provide states preferential treatment through the Plan panel.
- Articles 371, 371-A to 371-H, and 371-J of the Indian Constitution contain a long list of provisions that apply to up to ten states.
- Maharashtra, Gujarat, Nagaland, Assam, Manipur, Andhra Pradesh, Sikkim, Mizoram, Arunachal Pradesh, and Telangana are a few of these states.
- Furthermore, the Centre may, on a case-by-case basis, offer a unique package to states that require extra assistance.
- These sections aim to defend the interests and goals of certain underdeveloped areas, as well as the tribal people’s cultural and economic rights, and to address law and order issues in particular areas.
- Merit-based special packages for states can be a useful next step. A committee consisting of independent members from the states and the centre, supported by executive powers and statutory authority, may provide recommendations in this area.
Q2. Discuss about the issues that the Model Code of Conduct is facing in the modern, digital era of electoral campaigns.
GS II – Election related issues
Introduction:
- Political parties must abide by the Model Code of Conduct, a set of rules released by the election commission, when conducting their campaigning. The current digital era and the explosion of numerous forms of multimedia provide problems for the proper application of the Model Code of Conduct.
Issues with the digital era model code of conduct:
- Blurring the lines between private and public: Social media has made it more difficult to distinguish between the two.
- The use of modern methods such as live webcasting, viral content connected to election campaigns, celebrity “influencers,” etc., has complicated the process of implementing MCC.
- Accessibility: Social media presents a substantial problem for EC given the exponential rise of digital communication in India and the fact that it is an unregulated platform due to worries about free speech and the internet.
- In order to enforce and penalise MCC violations, EC lacks the necessary resources and surveillance capabilities.
- Jurisdiction concerns: Foreign entities manage digital businesses such as Facebook. For Indian agencies, holding them responsible has proven to be challenging. EC will encounter comparable difficulties in stopping MCC infractions.
- Election expenditure: In the digital age, following financial trails and monitoring poll expenses is challenging.
- Social media political advertising and nontransparency: In March 2019, a “voluntary code of ethics” was proposed by Facebook, WhatsApp, Twitter, Google, ShareChat, and TikTok. That includes, among other things, demanding openness in political advertisements. The electoral commission will still have difficulties achieving complete transparency, despite the little progress that has been made.
- Digital media is a powerful source of intentional and unsubstantiated fake news.
- The EC should levy a heavy punishment per view of an advertisement that violates the guidelines in order to address the issue. The EC must establish penalties and a precise set of guidelines.
- Closed systems like WhatsApp: The election commission’s standards do not cover closed networks like WhatsApp, where users interact on a one-to-one basis. This leaves several gaps.
- This is true even though WhatsApp—which is bigger than Facebook—is among the biggest social media networks in the nation.
- Recent actions made by the Election Commission include requiring all candidates to give the commission access to the information of their social media accounts and obtaining prior consent before running any political advertisements on these platforms. Additionally, all social media content will be covered by the model code. Despite all of these precautions, a completely new strategy with a strict emphasis on digital medium responsibility is still required for the effective implementation of MCC.
