MAINS DAILY QUESTIONS & MODEL ANSWERS
Q1. Discuss the resource potential of India’s extensive coastline while highlighting the state of these regions’ readiness for natural hazards.
GS III – Disaster Management
Introduction:
- India’s extensive coastline, which stretches over 7,500 km along the Bay of Bengal and the Arabian Sea, offers both substantial resource potential and formidable obstacles in the form of natural disaster preparedness.
India’s Coastline’s Potential Resource:
- Fisheries: India’s coastline is a vital hub for fisheries due to the abundance of marine life there. It greatly enhances the nation’s food security by sustaining a robust fishing sector.
- Ports and Shipping: The coastline is home to a number of significant ports that support trade and commerce, including Mumbai, Chennai, and Kolkata.
- Tourism: Because of their natural beauty and cultural charms, coastal regions like Goa, Kerala, and the Andaman and Nicobar Islands are well-liked travel destinations.
- Mineral Resources: Sand, salt, and minerals such as garnet, monazite, and ilmenite are abundant in coastal regions.
- Renewable Energy: India’s coastline offers enormous potential for producing renewable energy, especially through tidal and offshore wind projects.
Natural Hazard Preparedness Status:
- Although the coastline of India has numerous potential, it is also extremely susceptible to natural disasters such as cyclones, tsunamis, and sea level rise:
- India has been participating in urban planning, strengthening the resilience of its coastal infrastructure, protecting mangroves, and keeping a close eye on sea level increases.
- To coordinate disaster response and preparedness at the federal and state levels, this involves establishing the National Disaster Management Authority (NDMA) and State Disaster Management Authorities (SDMAs).
- Improved early warning systems have saved many lives, especially in the case of cyclones.
- Operated by the Indian National Centre for Ocean Information Services (INCOIS), India has constructed an enhanced Tsunami Early Warning Centre (ITEWC).
- The National Institute of Ocean Technology (NIOT) and the INCOIS are important organisations for tracking and comprehending changes and patterns in sea level.
- In summary
- For sustainable growth, continued efforts in infrastructure development, climate adaptation, and disaster preparedness are needed in India’s vulnerable coastal regions.
Q2. What does the 101st Constitutional Amendment Act mean? How far does it resemble the spirit of federalism that is accommodating?
GS II – Indian Constitution-related issues
Introduction:
- The 101st Constitutional Amendment Act introduced the “Goods and Services Tax” (GST), which helped to simplify the indirect tax structure. The products and Services Tax (GST) unified many taxes on products and services into a single tax, making supply chain taxation simpler.
Importance of the Act:
- Subsumed Various Indirect Taxes: The Goods and Services Tax (GST) has unified all indirect taxes in India by including taxes like excise, service, and other levies.
- Decreased Compliance load: The GST regime has made it easier to calculate taxes, which has reduced the compliance load.
- Simplifying Tax Administration: Taxation has been simpler as a result of a significant reduction in redundancies and duplication of work.
- Enhanced Business Ease: Online taxation has replaced the laborious process that was once associated with a few states and particular sorts of taxes.
- The cascading effect of taxes eliminated the need to tax a taxable product at each stage of manufacturing.
- Value Added Tax (VAT) was previously levied at the time of manufacturing or sale; in contrast, GST is a destination-based taxation system.
Federalism and the Act:
- A section of the Act provided compensation to the states for any losses they suffered as a result of the introduction of the Goods and Services Tax (GST).
- Cooperative federalism is strengthened by the GST Council’s consensus-based decision-making process, which involves representatives from both the federal government and the states.
- The GST has resulted in increased revenue, which has given the federal and state governments more money to spend on infrastructure development.
- The Goods and Services Tax has significantly decreased interstate trade barriers, hence facilitating easier commercial operations throughout the nation.
Way Forward:
- The Goods and Services Tax, which was implemented by the 101st Constitution Amendment Act, has made it more easier to conduct business between states. The goal of one nation, one tax is made possible by the country’s federalism being strengthened thanks to the increased revenue for union and state governments.
