18 March 2023

DAILY CURRENT AFFAIRS ANALYSIS

 1 – Textile Parks in India: GS II – Topic Government Policies and Interventions

 Context:

• Since the PM Massive Integrated Textile Regions and Apparel (PM MITRA) programme was revealed a year and a half ago, the Center has decided to develop additional textile parks in Tamil Nadu, Telangana, Karnataka, Maharashtra, Gujarat, Madhya Pradesh, and Uttar Pradesh.
• The parks will “provide state-of-the-art facilities for the textiles sector, attract investment of crores, and create lakhs of jobs,” Prime Minister Narendra Modi said in a tweet on Friday that included a list of the seven States that had been chosen. The proposal, which was released in October 2021, states that the parks will be constructed by 2026–2027. Even though the 2023–24 Budget only allots 200 crores at first, the project will ultimately cost 4,445 crores.

About:

• PM MITRA Park will be established as a Special Purpose Vehicle (SPV) with ownership by the Central and State Governments under a Public Private Partnership (PPP) model.
• A textile-related incubation centre, a common processing facility, a common effluent treatment facility, as well as supplementary amenities like design studios and testing facilities, will all be present in each MITRA Park.
• For the duration of the concession, the Master Developer will construct and maintain the Industrial Park.

Funding:

• The centre will provide up to Rs 200 crore for each brownfield park and up to Rs 500 crore for each greenfield MITRA park towards the development of shared infrastructure, according to the plan.
• A greenfield project must be begun from scratch, whereas a brownfield project is one that has already been worked on.

Individuals who are entitled to incentives:

• Each of these parks will receive an additional Rs 300 crore as a competitiveness incentive support in order to promote the early development of textile manufacturing facilities.
• If investors create “anchor facilities” that employ at least 100 people, they would be eligible for incentives worth up to Rs 10 crore each year for a maximum of three years.

Significance:

• Reduce Logistics Cost: The textile sector will improve its value chain and reduce logistics costs to become more competitive on a global level.
• High logistics costs are thought to be impeding India’s desire to enhance textile exports.
• Due to the pandemic’s effects on global supply chains, India recently experienced a disruption in the delivery of crucial raw materials from China.

Source  The  Hindu

 2 – Tiger Conservation: GS III – Topic Environment-related issues

 Context:

• Finally found after an eight-year absence, the tiger may have disclosed secret lumber “depots” in India’s easternmost tiger reserve.
• The centre of the 1,985 square kilometre Namdapha National Park and Tiger Reserve was found to have several lumber depots on March 14 by authorities in the Changlang district of Arunachal Pradesh.

Why Conservation of Tigers Is Important:

• Since tigers are one of the principal predators in the environment, ensuring their preservation also ensures the ecosystem’s balance.
• Numerous other species, including as ungulates, pollinators, and other tiny animals, are ultimately conserved as a result of tiger protection.
• In the IUCN Red List, tigers are categorised as an endangered species.
• The tiger population has severely dropped during the past 100 years, making it essential to prevent further decline
• These species have been chosen for conservation-related considerations because the preservation and protection of these species have a direct impact on the preservation and protection of other species within their environment. The employment of umbrella species is advantageous for both the selection of potential reserve sites and the evaluation of the reserve’s composition.

Challenges:

• Despite our progress in safeguarding more and more tigers, some risks continue to act as a roadblock to our conservation efforts.
• There are no longer any tigers in three of India’s tiger reserves: the Dampa reserve in Mizoram, the Buxa reserve in West Bengal, and the Palamau reserve in Jharkhand.
• The ability of the tiger population to exchange genes is severely constrained because of the poor connection across tiger reserves.
• Conflicts between humans and tigers have arisen as tiger conservation efforts have risen, as tigers seek refuge in human settlements since their native habitats are already becoming more and more limited.
• Every part of a tiger has a market value, thus they are hunted indiscriminately for both personal and professional benefit. Tiger poaching is considered a sort of pride.
• The indigenous people’s narrow outlook on tiger conservation, which sees tiger poaching as their only source of revenue, is a big barrier.
• Linear developments like roads and railroads have a significant impact on how people acquire a conservation mindset.

Way Forward:

• Regulations and technical proficiency alone are insufficient; local communities must also recognise the need of their participation.
• For these local communities to have a better source of income than tiger hunting, more economic opportunities must be made available.
• To ensure that the environment and development coexist and cooperate, we must plan our future developmental goals in a way that preserves our environmental objectives.
• community movement of their own free will, while also safeguarding the environment and giving them justice in terms of pay and employment.
• Conservation efforts for tigers need to be more flexible and responsive to any future climatic changes.

Source The  Hindu

3 – International Criminal Court: GS II – Topic International Relations

 Context:

• On March 17, 2023, the International Criminal Court issued an arrest warrant for Russian President Vladimir Putin based on the alleged war crime of forcible deportation of Ukrainian children.
• The International Criminal Court (ICC), which has its headquarters in The Hague, purportedly issued an arrest warrant for Maria Lvova-Belova on comparable grounds. She is the Russian president’s representative for children’s rights.

What is ICC, exactly?

• The International Criminal Court (ICC), which is governed by a treaty known as “The Rome Statute,” is the first such court to exist permanently.
• It brings cases involving the most severe crimes of concern to the international community, such as genocide, war crimes, crimes against humanity, and crimes of aggression, to court when appropriate.
• The International Criminal Court (ICC) seeks to hold offenders accountable for their crimes and contribute to their prevention through international criminal justice.
• India, like the US and China, is not a party to the Rome Statute.
• In an effort to create a more just world, 120 States adopted the Rome Statute on July 17, 1998.
• The Rome Statute officially established the ICC on July 1, 2002, after receiving consent from 60 governments. The ICC only deals with crimes committed on or after this date since it lacks retroactive jurisdiction.
• In 2010, the Rome Statute underwent revisions that set additional requirements for victim representation in courtrooms, ensured fair trials, and protected defence rights.
• The “Rome Statute,” which is further developed in additional legal texts like as the Elements of Crimes, Rules of Process and Evidence, and others, now serves as the core legal framework for the ICC.

What limitations apply to the ICC?

• The International Criminal Court (ICC) is backed by international cooperation as it lacks a police force or other enforcement mechanism of its own. This is especially true when it comes to making arrests, transferring detainees to the ICC detention facility in The Hague, freezing suspects’ assets, and carrying out judgements. It implies that the ICC is losing credibility, choosing cases randomly, and is unable to take on challenging matters.
• Additionally, because prospective war criminals are aware that they may avoid punishment by seizing power and defying the court, it weakens the ICC’s ability to act as a deterrence.
• There aren’t enough checks and balances on the ICC judge and prosecutor.
• The International Criminal Court (ICC) is criticised for being biassed in favour of strong states over weaker ones and being an instrument of Western imperialism.
• In 2020, the US will have authorised ICC investigators to look into potential war crimes perpetrated by US troops and its allies.
• The United States’ behaviour concerned the European Union quite a bit.
• According to the international NGO Human Rights Watch, the United States actively encourages those who violate human rights and cover them up by punishing war crimes investigators.
• Depending on the seriousness of the offences, the ICC may impose life sentences or lengthy jail terms of up to 30 years.
• Despite the fact that the 1998 Rome Statute only applied to offences committed after 1 July 2002, the ICC court lacks retroactive authority.
• Only crimes committed on the soil of ratifying parties, by citizens of such states, or when a situation is referred to the ICC by the UN Security Council fall under the ICC’s automatic jurisdiction.
• The efficiency of the court has been questioned because of procedural and substantive errors that have lengthened wait times and caused annoyance.
• It also faces challenges due to a staffing and funding gap.

Source The  Hindu

4 – Simultaneous Elections: GS II – Topic Election-related issues

 Context:

• On March 17, 2023, Law Minister Kiren Rijiju informed the Lok Sabha that the question of holding simultaneous elections for the Lok Sabha and the State Assemblies had been forwarded to the Law Commission for additional review.
• The Minister stated that holding Lok Sabha and State Assembly elections concurrently would save money for the public purse, but it would also require “imperatives” including revising the Constitution and gaining support from all major parties.

What is the “One Country, One Election” or simultaneous elections system?

• The country’s present electoral system conducts separate elections for the Lok Sabha and state assemblies every five years, that is, when the terms of the Lower House and the state governments expire or when any of them is prematurely dissolved.
• State assembly’ terms may not always coincide with one another’s or with the Lok Sabha’s.
• As a result, conducting elections is a year-round, enormous task.
• According to One Country One Election, there should be simultaneous elections for the Lok Sabha and all 50 states every five years.
• This will include the rearrangement of the Indian election calendar in a manner that elections to the states and the centre coordinate.
• In this event, voting for members of the LS and state assemblies will take place on the same day and at the same time (or in a phased manner as the case may be).

 Key Articles/Implementation:

• There needs to be political agreement on the electoral system adjustments in order to conduct simultaneous polls. Moreover, constitutional amendments must be drafted.

Several of the essential Articles that need to be modified for implementation of ‘one nation one election’ are:

• The elected members of the Lok Sabha and state assemblies are given a five-year tenure by Articles 172 and 83 of the Constitution, unless they are dissolved earlier.
• Article 85 of the Indian Constitution deals with the President’s authority to call for parliamentary sessions with a maximum six-month delay between them.
• Moreover, the President has the authority to dissolve the Lok Sabha and adjourn either House of Parliament.
• The President’s Rule is addressed in Article 356 of the Indian Constitution, which takes effect in cases of governmental and constitutional failure in a state.
• For organised behaviour and stability in both the Lok Sabha and state assemblies, amendments to the People’s Representation Act of 1951 (RPA Act 1951) and the Anti Defection Law are required.

Arguments for simultaneous elections:

• Cost savings: Holding many elections at various times puts a significant financial strain on the exchequer due to lost productivity, increased labour costs, and other expenses.
• The transfer of security personnel, the redirection of governmental resources to oversee the elections, and other related charges are among the substantial expenses associated with organising elections.
• Employing security forces: Elections typically require the deployment of security troops for the duration of the process, which diverts some of the armed police force from other internal security initiatives.
• Elections are polarising events that have reinforced casteism, communalism, and corruption. As a result, frequent elections promote caste, religion, and communal conflicts throughout the country.
• Emphasis on populist measures: The frequency of elections will have an impact on how governance and policymaking are prioritised since it forces the political class to prioritise short-term electoral gains above long-term plans and policies.
• Frequent elections impair the delivery of important services due to the engagement of public officials, including a substantial number of teachers, in the electoral process.
• Democracy-defeating practises: Smaller parties with less financial resources and funding for election expenses were unable to compete on an equal footing with larger parties with deep funds.
• This impedes a democratic process’ pursuit of equity and equality. Election costs will be lower with simultaneous elections, resulting in a more fair playing field during campaign season.

Arguments against:

• Parties that have opposed simultaneous polling are mostly worried about constitutional errors and their anti-federal effects.
• Some predict that this will affect how the public votes, and that the new procedure will demand a sizable amount of labour and equipment (EVMs and VVPATs).
• The Opposition parties have warned that such talks will adversely influence the federal nature of the Indian democratic system.
• Issues at the national and state levels are handled differently.
• The national election is dominated by topics involving national interests, while state elections deal with local ones.
• In concurrent elections, national problems can take precedence over state issues.
• Accountability: Regular elections, once more, mean that the administration is required to respect popular opinion or risk losing elections in one or more states.
• However, if the government is guaranteed a fixed term without the threat of recall, it could foster autocratic tendencies in which ministers exercise their authority, at least initially, in accordance with their whims and caprices and engage in political welfare in the latter stages of their terms in order to sway voters.
• Maintaining Synchronization: In a democracy, maintaining simultaneous elections is challenging. It would be challenging to sustain such a condition for an extended period of time, even if we were able to hold simultaneous elections at the Center and in all states by extending and reducing the terms of the respective State Legislatures and the Lok Sabha. The system will again become chaotic as soon as any government loses faith in its assembly.
• By allowing for regular elections so that people can use their right to vote, the current system was purposefully adopted by our forefathers to safeguard the democratic ideal.
• Modifying the electoral process, however, would imply limiting people’s ability to exercise their democratic right to vote.

 Moving ahead:

• The concept of simultaneous elections has matured. To allay the worries of regional parties, the matter needs to be fully discussed and debated across the political spectrum because it relates to the federal framework of the Constitution. This will make it simpler to carry out the plan across the nation.
• In theory, the “one nation, one election” method should use less time, effort, and money to organise elections. Political parties will have plenty of opportunity to address national concerns and improve governance if simultaneous elections actually shorten the polling period.
• According to the law commission’s suggestions, it might be possible to reinstate the one-nation, one-election principle that was in place throughout India’s first two decades of independence.

Source  The  Hindu