29 June 2023

MAINS DAILY QUESTIONS & MODEL ANSWERS

Q1. Describe the main tenets of India’s space policy, 2023. What distinguishes the current space policy from prior government programmes that aimed to boost the space industry?

Paper & Topic: GS III – Science and Technology

Model Answer:

• To enable, promote, and expand a vibrant commercial presence in space, the Indian Space Policy 2023 was recently unveiled. The goal is to increase India’s contribution to the global space economy from under 2% to 10%. The policy also highlights its significance in India’s socioeconomic development, national security, environmental protection, human life preservation, peaceful space exploration, raising public awareness, and scientific advancement.

Important provisions of the Indian Space Policy 2023 include the following:

• Policy establishes the obligations and responsibilities of three important organisations in the Indian space industry.
• ISRO, India’s main space agency, will focus on developing new systems, technologies, and research and development. NSIL will be in charge of overseeing the operational facets of ISRO’s missions and will run in a demand-driven way to fulfil the needs of the industry.
• In the strategic space sector projects, NewSpace India Limited (NSIL) will play a significant role. Increasing private sector participation in the space economy and creating an independent space industry in India are the objectives of NSIL.
• As an independent government organisation, the Indian National Space Promotion & Authorisation Centre (IN-SPACe) is tasked with promoting, assisting, coordinating, and authorising space missions throughout the country. The policy also describes IN-SPACe’s role as a single-window institution for both governmental and non-governmental organisations (NGEs) to authorise space activities.
• Role of Non-Governmental Entities (NGEs): In accordance with the policy, NGEs are permitted to create and manage spacecraft, ground-based equipment, and related services, such as navigation, remote sensing, and communication, in order to conduct end-to-end space sector operations.
• The Department of Space (DOS), which will also ensure that all pertinent parties have the required power to carry out their assigned duties, will oversee the implementation of the Indian Space Policy-2023.

Natural disadvantages compared to previous policy actions:

• Problems with the satellite communication policy: In 1997, the first satellite communication policy went into effect, further liberalising the conditions for FDI in the satellite sector. Today, more than half of the transponders used to transmit TV signals into Indian households are carried by foreign satellites, resulting in an annual outflow of more than $500 million.
• Issues with the remote sensing data policy: In place of the remote sensing data policy, which was later liberalised in 2022, a National Geospatial Policy was adopted in 2016. Indian customers, including the security and defence services, spend close to $1 billion a year on earth observation data and images from foreign sources.
• A proposed Space Activities Bill was published in 2017 with the goal of streamlining the space sector; however, it has now expired. However, it did end in 2019.

The new space policy is different from prior government initiatives in the following ways:

• redefines ISRO’s areas of focus: With its role in policy now clearly defined, ISRO can use its most precious resource—its skilled workforce—to concentrate on forward-thinking research and development and long-term projects like Chandrayan and Gaganyaan.
• According to the new policy, which covers the entire spectrum of space activities, the space industry is now open to private businesses. It resolves the earlier problem of the lack of a framework for the private sector. The recent emergence of various entrepreneurs in the space industry, like Dhruva Space, Agnikul Cosmos, and others, makes this imperative.
• India, which has over 400 private space companies and ranks sixth globally in terms of the number of space companies, has a robust economy to maintain competition in the space industry. Because of this, the role of the private sector is essential for maintaining the sector’s competitiveness.
• In order to improve research and development in the disciplines of space science, technology, and applications, the Indian Space Policy 2023 encourages partnerships between industry and academia on a national and international level. This plan will promote India’s space exploration efforts and advance the scientific community worldwide.
• The Space Policy 2023, a visionary plan, heralds in a daring new era for India’s space programme. Through a combination of research and development, cooperation, and innovation, the country can keep its place as a global leader in space.

Q2. “Speakers must transcend party allegiances, using the Constitution as their yardstick.” In light of this statement, evaluate the speaker’s office’s contribution to strengthening India’s parliamentary democracy.

Paper & Topic: GS II – Parliament related issues

Model Answer:

• According to Article 93 of the constitution, the Lok Sabha’s speaker and deputy speaker are both elected. The position of Speaker is important in our parliamentary democracy. The speaker is a symbol of the majesty and might of the house. The individual in this highly valued position is therefore said to need to be able to represent the house in all of its guises. However, the speaker’s role has recently come under scrutiny for maintaining its bias and support for the political party.

The following crucial ways that the speaker’s office enhances parliamentary democracy:

• He manages the House’s operations and monitors how it conducts business. He also maintains decorum and order in the House. This is ultimately under his control because it is his primary responsibility.
• The Speaker is in charge of defending the privileges and rights of the House, its committees, and its participants. At the sole discretion of the Speaker, any matter of privilege may be referred to the Committee of Privileges for evaluation, investigation, and a report.
• The final judge of how the Constitution and procedural rules should be construed is the Speaker.
• The chamber contains the Indian Constitution.
• Rules of Procedure and Conduct of Business for the Lok Sabha, and
• the legislative branch’s hierarchy according to the House.
• The Speaker plays the role of the disciplinarian, maintaining order in the House. In the case of disturbance, he has the power to ask members to leave the House or suspend them. In order to maintain decorum, the Speaker may interfere and ask members to withdraw improper statements.
• Powers conferred under the tenth schedule: The Speaker is now able to reject a Lok Sabha member for reasons of defection as a result of the 52nd Constitutional Amendment.
• By deciding which lawmakers have the right to ask follow-up questions and requiring ministers to testify in front of the House, he assists members in holding the government responsible. This guarantees legislative accountability. By making decisions, the Speaker supports the parliamentary function of representing the electorate and keeping the government accountable.

The following are some criticisms levelled at the speaker’s office:

• The speaker’s office has regularly come under fire for its favouritism and prejudice towards his party. This is also because India has not yet ratified the convention requiring Speakers to renounce their party affiliation. Additionally, Speakers from India have held cabinet positions both before and after their time as Speaker.
• The speaker’s main challenges are increased audience disruptions and agenda changes. Short-notice queries and motions without a date have attracted less attention over time. The fall in their use and the speaker’s unwillingness to use them in conversation could be the root of this.
• Elections for speakers: While candidates run on party platforms, speakers are required to remain impartial. Additionally, because there isn’t usually a clear winner in elections, candidates from other parties have occasionally run. In the constituency of the Speaker, all political parties run campaigns. Even if the Speaker is re-elected to the House, the job of Speaker in India is still up for election.
• Making decisions under the anti-defection law: The Speaker and other presiding officers of the respective Houses have been tasked with deciding on matters arising from the disqualification of a member based on defection. However, because their continuous membership in their respective parties affects their ability to operate as an independent adjudicating authority, speakers are criticised as biased and partial in their decision-making.
• The Office of the Speaker in India is a dynamic organisation that responds to the needs and problems that Parliament actually encounters while doing its tasks. In order to operate in the interests of the general public, it is crucial to ensure that the Speaker conducts business in a nonpartisan manner and goes above and beyond party lines.