30 May 2023

DAILY CURRENT AFFAIRS ANALYSIS

1 – NCT Amendment Ordinance, 2023: GS II – Constitution-related issues

Context:

• The Government of National Capital Territory of Delhi (Amendment) Ordinance, 2023 was promulgated by the President of India in accordance with his legislative authority granted by Article 123 of the Constitution.
• The Ordinance must be put into effect since it overturns a Supreme Court decision by the Constitution Bench that placed “services” under the control of the National Capital Territory of Delhi (NCTD) government.

The Court’s ruling’s scope:

• The NCTD’s Legislative Assembly has jurisdiction over items on Lists II (The State list) and III (The Concurrent list), with the exception of three items on List II (public order, police, and land), according to the Court’s interpretation of Article 239AA(3)(a).
• The only items in List II over which the NCTD lacks legislative competence and the Union of India has executive authority are these three items.
• As a result, only the Government of the NCTD may exercise executive authority over “services” (List II).

The Government of NCTD (Amendment) Ordinance 2023’s main points are:

The National Capital Civil Service Authority (NCCSA) was established:

• The Chief Secretary and Principal Home Secretary of Delhi will be its other two members, while the Delhi CM will serve as its leader.
• Regarding the transfer, posting, vigilance, and other incidental matters wrt to AISs and DANICS serving the Delhi government, it will submit recommendations to the Lieutenant Governor (LG).
• A majority of votes must be obtained to decide on any issue. This means that the two senior officials have the authority to overturn the elected CM’s decision.

Duty of LG:

• The L-G will issue orders to put the NCCSA’s recommendations into effect.
• If the L-G disagrees with the recommendation, they can send it back to the NCCSA for re-evaluation. The LG will therefore have the last say.

The Ordinance has changed the following:

• By adding “services” from List II to Article 239AA(3)(a), it increased the number of things (within the Union’s authority) from 3 to 4.

The ordinance’s constitutionality:

• Regarding Article 368Regarding Articles 141 and 144
• The authority granted to Parliament (under Article 239AA) is to enact new legislation to implement or complement the provisions found in the various Article 239AA clauses.All Indian courts and bodies must abide by the declarations and interpretations of law made by a Constitution Bench of the Supreme Court.
• A constitutional amendment pursuant to Article 368 is therefore necessary to change the meaning of Article 239AA(3)(a).Part V of the Constitution (The Union) contains Articles 123, 141, and 144. None contain a non-obstante provision.
• As a result, it is possible that the ordinance that was passed under Article 123 to broaden the application of Article 239AA(3)(a) may be overturned.
• As a result, Article 144 could not be superseded by Article 74.

2017’s Kumar Singh v. State of Bihar Case:

• A seven-judge SC bench ruled that the President’s satisfaction with regard to Article 123 is not exempt from judicial review and is not a separate source of lawmaking or a separate legislative authority.

Conclusion:

• The Union of India made the poorly thought-out choice to publish an ordinance (Article 123) and desire review (Article 137) at the same time.

Source The Hindu

2 – Role of Small Modular Reactors in Energy Transition: GS III – Environmental Conservation related issues

Context:

• A report titled “The Role of Small Modular Reactors in the Energy Transition” was just published by the NITI Aayog.

Background:

• In addition to renewable energy, nuclear energy is being investigated as a clean energy source to assist the countries in achieving their decarbonization objectives.
• According to IEA predictions, the installed nuclear power capacity will increase from 413 GW in 2021 to 871 GW by 2050.
• Innovation in nuclear reactor technology will be crucial for both the older Large Reactors (LRs) and the more recent Small Modular Reactors (SMRs) concepts.

SMRs, or small modular reactors:

• the SMRsPhysically, it is much smaller than a typical nuclear power reactor.
• Modularity enables systems and components to be pre-assembled in a factory before being shipped as a whole to a place for installation.
• Reactors are devices that use heat produced by nuclear fission to produce energy or use directly.
• Less than 30 MWe to 300+ MWe in capacity.
• Classification High-temperature gas-cooled SMRs (HTGRs), liquid metal-cooled fast neutron spectrum SMRs (LMFRs), land-based water-cooled SMRs, marine-based water-cooled SMRs, etc.
• state of global developmentCurrently, a number of SMR designs—about 80 in total—are in the licencing, deployment, and operating phases of their development.

Advantages produced off-site:

• Contrary to traditional nuclear reactors, which are constructed on-site, this can drastically reduce construction time.
• Low operating expenses (less fuel, less labour) and improved effectiveness.

Better flexibility/control:

• They are particularly helpful for remote places because they have variable power generation needs and can produce less electricity when demand is low.

Safety attributes:

• don’t require a power source and are capable of handling mishaps without the aid of a person or a computer.
• SMRs and the SDGs: SMRs have the potential to be essential in the transition to sustainable energy while also assisting nations in achieving SDG 7 (universal access to energy).

Issues:

• The SMR industry has not yet established a completely functional fabrication facility for the mass production of SMR components.
• Having SMRs produced on a wide scale is necessary for economic gains.

Many different technologies:

• The simultaneous deployment of SMRs could hinder cost optimisation efforts as well as provide regulatory issues for the nuclear industry.

Obtaining funding:

• for the creation of prototype plants and the development of technology.
• Widespread adoption of SMRs will be facilitated by the standardisation of component and module designs, strategic alliances, and uniformity of regulatory and licencing processes.
• Updates should be made to the current safety assessment process.
• Low-cost financing options, inclusion in the green taxonomy, and the use of creative financing methods like green bonds, etc.
• availability of necessary qualified workers along the engineering, design, testing, inspection, building, etc. value chain.

Conclusion:

• Large-size reactors may be supplemented by SMR in order to increase the nuclear component of the energy mix and attain Net Zero Emissions.
• Through the involvement of pertinent stakeholders, the respective governments must play a significant part in fostering a consensus in favour of nuclear energy.
• Source àNiti Aayog Website

3 – Gender Parity in Civil Services: GS II – Governance-related issues

Context:

• Women took the top four spots in the Civil Services Exam of 2022, and since 2018, the percentage of women candidates nominated for positions like IAS and IPS has increased from 24% to 34%, showing an improvement in their engagement in politics.

Women’s Status in the Civil Services:

• Women have made up only 13% of all Indian Administrative Service (IAS) officials between 1951 and 2020, notwithstanding advancements throughout time.
• Although the percentage of women entering the IAS climbed from 9% in 1970 to 31% in 2020, just 21% of IAS officers who are now in service are female.

There are obstacles to equal representation of women in important positions, such as:

Family and cultural expectations:

• If women fail or have trouble finding a suitable spouse, families may be reluctant to explain their years of preparation. Women are discouraged from travelling far to study in large cities due to distance and safety issues.

Low Recruitment and Fewer Attempts:

• In comparison to men, women typically try competitive tests less frequently. Additionally, they are more likely to seek voluntary retirement and less likely to hold positions with significant decision-making authority.

Limitations and Biases in Posting:

• Women experience discrimination and have less opportunity to advance. While men predominate in urban development, police and order, and finance, women are frequently given responsibility for managing cultural affairs, education, and welfare.

Double the Family’s Responsibility Burden

• Women officers are expected to reconcile their careers with their conventional obligations as wives and mothers, which can jeopardise their careers. The additional stress of household duties prevents career advancement.

Intersectionality:

• various states and marginalised communities experience various gender imbalances. Greater gender disparities among aspirants affect women from marginalised communities.

Absence of Women in Higher Leadership Positions:

• Chokila Iyer, the first female foreign secretary, was appointed in 2001, while Sushma Nath, the first female finance secretary, was appointed in 2011. There has never been a female cabinet secretary in India. In comparison to nations like Singapore, Australia, and Sweden, there are far fewer women in senior leadership roles in public administration.

Women’s Equality:

• Women hold only 12% of top leadership positions in India, according to a 2021 UNDP global study on gender equality in public administration, compared to 29% in Singapore, 40% in Australia, and 53% in Sweden.
• How to increase the number of women in the Indian government service:

Publicity and Outreach:

• providing career advising to young females in schools and colleges to inform them about the civil service; organising media-based awareness initiatives to promote the achievements of female civil workers.

The sensitivity to gender:

• requiring recruitment committees and current civil workers to attend training on gender issues; creating a code of behaviour that encourages a welcoming and courteous workplace.

Exam changes:

• reviewing the curriculum to make sure there are no gender-based prejudices and that it reflects a variety of viewpoints

Support for coaching and preparation:

• providing financial aid and scholarships exclusively for female candidates to participate in coaching programmes; creating websites where women studying for civil service exams may get resources, practise exams and mentorship.

Social norms and family support:

• launching educational initiatives to dispel gender norms and motivate parents to support their daughters’ dreams.

Specialised Hiring Drives:

• putting in place targeted recruitment campaigns to boost the participation of women in the government services
• Work-Life HarmonyTo meet the demands of female federal officials, flexible work schedules and telecommuting possibilities have been implemented. creating onsite daycare facilities or offering financial aid for childcare costs.

Sensitization of Current Civil Service Employees:

• encouraging men who work in government to actively support gender equality and encourage their female co-workers.

Transparent Career Advancement and Promotions:

• Ensuring chances for professional advancement and promotions for female civil officials.

Reporting and Monitoring:

• To detect gaps and gauge the success of programmes, gender-disaggregated statistics on recruitment, representation, promotions, and retention should be published.

Conclusion:

• A government that is inclusive, accountable, and serves a variety of public interests must be gender equal. In order to attain gender parity in the workplace, societal views must change, and family support is crucial. The issue of gender diversity can be solved by encouraging girls from a young age to consider the IAS as a serious career option and by providing necessary support and resources.

Source The PIB

4 – Census in India: GS II – Constitution-related issues

Context:

• Despite requests from various communities to be classified as different religions, the upcoming Indian Census form will only have six options for religion: Hindu, Muslim, Christian, Buddhist, Sikh, and Jain.

Alterations made for the forthcoming Census:

Related to religion:

• The specific religious codes that were created using information gathered during the 2011 Census—such as those for Sarnaism, the Lingayat religion, etc.—were abandoned by the census administrators.
• Other religions may be listed by respondents, but no specific code will be given.
• Introduced are new inquiries: New inquiries into people’s consumption of packaged or bottled water and the causes of their movement, such as natural disasters, will be made during the census. Additional inquiries about distance travelled, modes of transportation, types and causes of disability, and property ownership will be made.

Digital Census:

• The next Census will be the first to be conducted digitally, allowing participants to complete the form at home.

Code repository:

• For the second phase of Census 2021, enumerators will have access for the first time to a code directory that contains possible answers and their corresponding codes for questions including descriptive and non-numeric data. It will speed up the analysis of the data and lessen bias and mistakes in the descriptive responses.
• The COVID-19 epidemic has caused the planned two-phase Census of 2021 to be postponed indefinitely. On January 9, 2020, the 31 questions for the first phase—House Listing and Housing Schedule—were made known. For the second phase, the Population Enumeration, up to 28 questions have been finalised, but they have not yet been notified.

Source The Hindu