The Prayas ePathshala

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15 August 2022

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DAILY CURRENT AFFAIRS ANALYSIS

 No. Topic Name Prelims/Mains
1.     Gallantry Awards in India Prelims & Mains
2.     Special Economic Zones Prelims & Mains
3.     Women in Judiciary Prelims & Mains
4.     NITI Aayog Prelims Specific Topic

1 – Gallantry Awards in India: GS III Topic à Internal Security related issues

 Indian Awards for Gallantry:

  • On January 26, 1950, the Indian government established the first three gallantry awards, the Param Vir Chakra, Maha Vir Chakra, and Vir Chakra, which were declared to be in effect as of August 15, 1947.
  • Other three bravery medals, the Ashoka Chakra Class-I, Class-II, and Class-III, were subsequently established in 1952 and were believed to be effective as of August 15, 1947.
  • In January 1967, the names of these prizes were changed to Ashoka Chakra, Kirti Chakra, and Shaurya Chakra, respectively.
  • The Param Vir Chakra, the Ashoka Chakra, the Mahavir Chakra, the Kirti Chakra, the Vir Chakra, and the Shaurya Chakra are the awards that come before them in importance.

Candidates for the Awards:

  • All officers in the Army, Navy, and Air Force, as well as any reserve forces, territory armies, and other military organisations that were duly established.
  • Matrons, sisters, nurses, along with the staff of the nursing services and other services related to hospitals and nursing, along with civilians, both male and female, serving regularly or temporarily under the orders, directions, or supervision of any of the aforementioned forces, in addition to the aforementioned personnel.

Highest Gallantry Awards During Wartime:

 Param Vir Chakra:

  • It is the highest military decoration given in India for heroic actions performed on land, at sea, or in the air during a conflict.

Maha Vir Chakra:

  • It is the second-highest gallantry award given for heroic acts performed while the enemy is present, whether they take place on land, at sea, or in the air.

Vir Chakra:

  • After the Param Vir Chakra and the Maha Vir Chakra, it is the third-highest wartime valour medal given in the nation.

Highest Awards for Valor during Times of Peace:

The Ashoka Chakra:

  • It is the highest military honour given in times of peace for bravery, sacrifice, or acts of heroism.
  • It is given for the most egregious bravery, a daring act, the greatest act of heroism, or self-sacrifice that does not take place in the presence of the enemy.

Kirti Chakra:

  • It is given for bravery, selflessness, or gallantry off the battlefield and is the second highest peacetime gallantry award.

Shaurya Chakra:

  • It is given to military soldiers for acts of particularly valiant behaviour.

Other Honors:

Sena Award:

  • It is given to Army members who exhibit particularly high levels of courage or devotion to service.

Medal of Nao Sena:

  • It is given to individuals in the Navy for extraordinary devotion to duty or bravery.

Medal of Vayu Sena:

  • It is given to individuals in the Air Force for extraordinary devotion to duty or bravery.

Source The Indian Express

 2 – Special Economic Zones: GS III Topic Indian Economy-related issues

 About:

  • An SEZ is a region within a nation that often has various business and commercial rules and is duty-free (fiscal concession) in order to promote investment and boost employment.
  • SEZs are developed in order to manage these areas more effectively and improve business accessibility.

Indian SEZs:

  • The first export processing zone (EPZ) in Asia was founded in Kandla, Gujarat, in 1965.
  • Although the framework of these EPZs was similar to that of SEZs, the government started creating SEZs in 2000 as part of the Foreign Trade Policy to address the infrastructure and administrative issues that were believed to have hindered the performance of EPZs.
  • In 2005, the Special Economic Zones Act was adopted. In conjunction with the SEZ Rules, the Act went into effect in 2006.
  • SEZs, however, were in use in India from 2000 to 2006. (under the Foreign Trade Policy).
  • The design of India’s SEZs closely resembled China’s highly effective model.
  • Currently, 265 of the 379 SEZs that have been notified are open for business. Five states—Tamil Nadu, Telangana, Karnataka, Andhra Pradesh, and Maharashtra—comprise about 64% of the SEZs.
  • The Secretary of Commerce serves as the chairman of the Board of Approval, which is the highest authority (Ministry of Commerce and Industry).
  • The Ministry of Commerce and Industry established the Baba Kalyani-led committee to investigate the country’s current SEZ policy, and the committee delivered its recommendations in November 2018.
  • Its broad goal was to assess SEZ policies in order to make it WTO (World Trade Organization) compliant and to use international best practises to maximise capacity utilisation and potential output of the SEZs.

The SEZ Act’s goals are as follows:

  • to stimulate more economic activity.
  • to increase products and service exports.
  • in order to create jobs.
  • to increase domestic and international investment.
  • infrastructural facilities to be built.

Major Facilities and Incentives for SEZ:

  • Duty-free imports and domestic purchases of products are permitted for the construction, use, and upkeep of SEZ units.
  • exemption from a variety of taxes, including the minimal alternate tax and the income tax.
  • Through reputable banking channels, SEZ units may borrow up to $500 million in foreign commercial debt each year without any maturity restrictions.
  • approvals at the central and state levels through a single portal.

Performance So Far:

  • Exports: From Rs. 22,840 crore in 2005–06 to Rs. 7,59,524 crore in 2016–17, exports rose (2020-21).
  • Investment: From Rs. 4,035.51 crore in 2005–06, investment has grown to Rs. 6,17,499 crore (2020-21).
  • Employment: From 1,34,704 people in 2005–2006, there are now 23,58,136 people employed (2020-21).

 Challenges:

  • Unused Land in SEZs: As a result of the pandemic’s interruptions and a lack of demand for SEZ space.

Multiple Models Exist:

  • It can be difficult to integrate different economic zone models because there are many different types, including SEZs, coastal economic zones, the Delhi-Mumbai Industrial Corridor, National Investment and Manufacturing Zones, food parks, and textile parks.

Threats from ASEAN nations:

  • Many ASEAN nations have made changes to their laws in recent years to draw foreign investors into their special economic zones (SEZs) and to advance a variety of skill-building projects.
  • As a result, Indian SEZs have lost some of their worldwide competitive advantages and require newer rules.

Steps to Take:

  • One of the proposals made by the Baba Kalyani Committee on SEZs is to encourage MSME investments in SEZs by partnering with MSME initiatives and allowing other sectors to invest in sector-specific SEZs.
  • In order to increase SEZs’ access to financing and enable long-term borrowing, it had also argued for new enablers and procedural leniencies as well as giving them infrastructure status.

Source The Indian Express

 3 – Women in Judiciary: GS II Topic Judiciary-related issues

 How are women represented in the judiciary?

  • Only 11.5% of judges in high courts are female, yet out of the 33 judges now serving on the Supreme Court, four are.
  • The position for female attorneys in the nation is not much better. Only 15% of the 1.7 million registered advocates are women.

What causes the low number of female representatives?

Inequality in Society:

  • The dominant cause of women’s underrepresentation in the judiciary is society’s engrained patriarchy.
  • Courtrooms frequently have unfriendly environments for women. Other traumatic experiences that are frequently related by many women lawyers include harassment, a lack of respect from the bar and the judiciary, and being told what to say and what not to say.

Workings of the Opaque Collegium System:

  • Due to the manner of hiring through an entrance exam, more women tend to enter the lower courts at the entry level.
  • The collegium system used by the upper judiciary, however, has a history of being more opaque and consequently more prone to reveal prejudice.
  • A recent recommendation by the Supreme Court Collegium for 192 candidates for the High Courts included 37 women, or 19% of the total. Unfortunately, out of the 37 women who were recommended, only 17 have been appointed thus far.

No Women Allowed:

  • The lower courts in several states have a reservation policy for women, while the High Courts and Supreme Court do not.
  • As a result of this reservation, states like Assam, Andhra Pradesh, Telangana, Odisha, and Rajasthan currently have 40–50% female judicial officers.
  • Despite the widespread backing of all major political parties, the bill to grant women a 33% reservation in the state and federal legislatures has not yet been passed.

Responsibilities to one’s family:

  • Age and family responsibilities are other factors that influence the promotion of female judges from lower courts to higher ones.
  • Not Enough Women in Litigation: Given that judges in the high courts and Supreme Court are largely comprised of lawyers who were elevated from the bar to the bench, it is important to note that the number of women attorneys is still low, which limits the pool from which women judges can be chosen.
  • Judicial Infrastructure: The lack of judicial infrastructure is another obstacle that prevents women from entering the field of law.
  • Obstacles include small, crowded courtrooms, a lack of restrooms, and childcare facilities.

No Sincere Attempt:

  • In the past 70 years, no significant effort has been taken to ensure that women have adequate representation in the upper courts or on the Supreme Court.
  • Despite the fact that women make up around 50% of the population in India and are readily available for advancement in the bar and judicial services, there aren’t many women who hold the position of judge.
  • What does a high percentage of women in leadership positions mean?
  • What Encourages More Women to Demand Justice? Women may be more inclined to use the legal system to seek redress and defend their rights if there are more and more prominent female judges.
  • Although it is not always the case, the litigant may feel more at ease if the judge is of the same gender as them.
  • Consider a transgender woman as a judge who is deliberating a case involving other trans women. That would also give the litigant confidence.

Various points of view:

  • Because of their diverse lived experiences, it is unquestionably beneficial to have representation of various marginalizations in the judiciary.
  • Diversity on the bench would unquestionably introduce diverse and inclusive viewpoints to legal interpretations.
  • Increased judicial diversity increases and enriches the capacity of judicial reasoning to take into account a variety of social circumstances and experiences.
  • This will enable the justice system to better meet the needs of women and other marginalised groups.

Steps to Take:

  • By raising awareness and emphasising inclusivity, it is necessary to bring about institutional, social, and behavioural change among India’s population.
  • Correcting the patriarchal mindset in the nomination and approval of candidates for high court justices is urgently required, as is providing more representation for deserving female district judges and attorneys.
  • Women cannot receive justice until they are empowered.
  • It is past time for everyone who matters to recognise the need of providing women with adequate representation in the judiciary when appointing judges to the high court and Supreme Court.
  • In reality, without compromising quality, the superior judiciary should likewise have a horizontal reserve for women similar to the subordinate judiciary.

Source The Indian Express

 4 – NITI Aayog: Prelims Specific Topic

 What is Its History?

  • Planning has been ingrained in the Indian mindset ever since our leaders were influenced by the socialist environment of the former USSR. For nearly 60 years, the planning commission was the main vehicle for planning, with a focus on the control and command method.
  • On January 1, 2015, the Planning Commission was replaced by a new organisation called NITI Aayog, with an emphasis on the “Bottom-Up” method to envision the vision of Maximum Governance, Minimum Government, and to mirror the spirit of “Cooperative Federalism.”

What about the NITI Aayog’s composition?

  • Chairman: the Prime Minister
  • Vice-Chairman: To be chosen by the Prime Minister
  • Chief Ministers of the states and Lt. Governors of Union Territories make up the governing council.
  • Regional Council: To address particular regional issues, made up of Chief Ministers and Lt. Governors, and presided over by the Prime Minister or a candidate for the position.
  • Adhoc Membership: Two ex-officio members on a rotating basis from prestigious research institutions.
  • Ex-Officio membership: The Prime Minister shall propose up to four members from the Union Council of Ministers.
  • Chief Executive Officer: Awarded the status of Secretary to the Government of India by the Prime Minister for a specific period of time.
  • Special Invitees: Subject-matter experts and specialists recommended by the prime minister.

How do NITI Aayog Hubs work?

  • The Team India Hub serves as a conduit between the States and the Center.
  • The Knowledge and Innovation Hub develops NITI Aayog’s capacity as a think tank.
  • Three documents, a 3-year action agenda, a 7-year medium-term strategy paper, and a 15-year vision document were all part of the Aayog’s release schedule.

What is the NITI Aayog’s Purpose?

  • The Planning Commission, a 65-year-old institution, was no longer necessary. In a command economic structure, it was important, but not now.
  • India is a diverse nation, and each of its states has unique strengths and weaknesses as well as different economic growth stages.
  • A “one size fits all” method of economic planning is no longer appropriate in this situation. India cannot become competitive in the current global economy through it.

What are Its Primary Goals?

  • To continuously promote cooperative federalism through organised support projects and procedures with the States, acknowledging that powerful States lead to powerful nations.
  • To create methods for creating reliable plans at the village level and gradually combining these at higher tiers of governance.
  • To make sure that the interests of national security are taken into account in economic strategy and policy in sectors that are particularly mentioned.
  • should pay close attention to the groups in our society who might not receive enough benefits from economic advancement.
  • To offer guidance and promote collaborations between important stakeholders, like-minded Think Tanks on a national and international level, and institutions involved in policy research and education.
  • To establish a collaborative network of national and international specialists, practitioners, and other partners in order to encourage knowledge, innovation, and entrepreneurship.
  • Providing a forum for the resolution of cross-departmental and cross-sectoral disagreements in order to hasten the implementation of the development agenda
  • Maintain a cutting-edge Resource Center, serve as a repository for research on good governance and the best methods for achieving sustainable and equitable development, and aid in the transmission of these knowledge to stakeholders.

What are the Related Worries?

  • The NITI Aayog must prioritise from a broad list of 13 objectives while clearly grasping the differences between policy, planning, and strategy if it is to demonstrate its prowess in policy making.
  • NITI Aayog needs freedom of various kinds with budgetary provisions, not in terms of plan and non-plan expenditures, but rather in terms of revenue and capital expenditure, as the higher rate of increase in capital expenditure can eliminate infrastructural deficits at all levels of operation in the economy, in order to increase trust, faith, and confidence more than the planning commission.

What can be the way forward?

  • Planning decentralisation, but with a five-year plan as a guide.
  • It is necessary to break the bureaucratic inertia by specialising it and establishing performance-based accountability.
  • Over time, NITI Aayog might establish itself as a change agent and support the government’s strategy for enhancing governance and putting up creative ideas for better public service delivery.
  • NITI Aayog continues to stand for a nation’s effective, transparent, innovative, and accountable governance system with a high standard of ethics in the workplace.

Source The Indian Express

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