Weekly Current Affairs (15th to 21st March 2023) Part - 2 | Current Affairs & Hindu Analysis: Daily, Weekly & Monthly - UPSC PDF Download

Reservation for Women in Politics

Context: A political party recently called for the long-delayed Women's Reservation Bill to be introduced in Parliament.

• The Rajya Sabha passed the Women's Reservation Bill on 9 March 2010. However, the Lok Sabha never voted on the bill. The bill lapsed since it was still pending in Lok Sabha.

What is the Background of the Reservation for Women in Politics in India?

• The issue of reservation for women in politics can be traced back to the Indian national movement. In 1931, in their letter to the British Prime Minister, submitting the official memorandum jointly issued on the status of women in the new Constitution by three women’s bodies, leaders Begum Shah Nawaz and Sarojini Naidu.
• The National Perspective Plan for Women recommended in 1988 that reservation be provided to women right from the level of the panchayat to that of Parliament
• These recommendations paved the way for the historic enactment of the 73rd and 74th amendments to the Constitution which mandate all State governments to reserve one-third of the seats for women in Panchayati Raj Institutions and one-third of the offices of the chairperson at all levels of the Panchayati Raj Institutions, and in urban local bodies, respectively. Within these seats, one-third are reserved for Scheduled Caste/Scheduled Tribe women.
• Many States such as Maharashtra, Andhra Pradesh, Bihar, Chhattisgarh, Jharkhand and Kerala have made legal provisions to ensure 50% reservation for women in local bodies.

What is Women Representation Bill?

About the Bill:

• The Women’s Reservation Bill proposes to reserve 33% of seats in the Lok Sabha and State Legislative Assemblies for women.
• Reserved seats may be allotted by rotation to different constituencies in the state or union territory.
• Reservation of seats for women shall cease to exist 15 years after the commencement of this Amendment Act.

Need:

• According to Global Gender Gap Report 2022, India ranks 48th out of 146 in Political Empowerment (Percentage of Women in Parliament and in Ministerial Positions) dimension.
  • Notwithstanding its rank, its score is quite low at 0.267. Some of the best-ranking countries in this category score much better. For instance, Iceland is ranked 1 with a score of 0.874 and Bangladesh is ranked 9 with a score of 0.546.
• Women’s right to self-representation and self-determination;
• The various surveys do indicate that women representatives from Panchayati Raj have worked commendably in the development and overall well-being of society in villages and many of them would definitely want to work on the larger scale, however, they face various challenges in the political structure prevalent in India.

Arguments Against the Bill:

• Women are not a homogeneous community say like, a caste group. Therefore, the same arguments made for caste-based reservations cannot be made for women.
• Reserving seats for women is opposed by some who claim that doing so violates the Constitution's guarantee of equality. If there is a reserve, they claim, women won't be competing on merit, which could decrease their status in society.

Arguments in Favour of the Bill:

• Affirmative action is necessary to better the condition of women, as political parties are inherently patriarchal.
• Women are still under-represented in Parliament, and reservations will ensure that women form a strong lobby to fight for issues that are often ignored.
• More women in decision-making positions are needed to address the high percentage of crimes against women, low participation of women in the workforce, low nutrition levels, and skewed sex ratio.

What is the Status of Women Representation in Politics in India?

• Prior to Independence:
  • Patriarchal social norms and mindsets have historically allowed women to be marginalized and exploited in India.
  • Beginning of social reforms and involvement in the struggle for freedom: The Indian freedom movement, which began with the swadeshi in Bengal (1905-08), also saw the impressive participation of women, who organized political protests, mobilized resources, and held leadership positions in those movements.
• Post Independence:
  • India's Constitution stipulated that all political, social, and economic spheres would treat men and women equally.
  • At present, only about 14.4% of the members of the Indian Parliament are women, the highest so far. According to the Inter-Parliamentary Union, India has a fewer percentage of women in the lower House than its neighbors such as Nepal, Pakistan, Sri Lanka, and Bangladesh.
  • As per the latest Election Commission of India (ECI) data as of October 2021, Women represent 10.5% of the total members of the Parliament.
  • The scenario for women Members of Legislative Assemblies (MLAs) across all state assemblies in India is even worse, with the national average being a pitiable 9%. In the last 75 years of independence, women’s representation in Lok Sabha has not even increased by 10%.

What are the Criteria to Evaluate Women's Political Participation in India?

Women as Voter:

• Almost as many women as men cast ballots in the most recent Lok Sabha election in 2019, marking a turning point in India's journey towards gender equality in politics and what has been dubbed a "quiet revolution of self-empowerment." There are many reasons for the growing participation, notably during the 1990s.

Women as Candidates:

• Generally, the proportion of female candidates in parliamentary elections has increased over time but has remained low when compared to male candidates. Less than 9% of the 8,049 candidates running in the 2019 Lok Sabha elections were female.

How can Women's Representation in Politics be Improved in India

• Women's representation in politics in India has been a topic of discussion for several years, and although progress has been made, there is still a long way to go. Here are some ways forward to improve women's representation in politics in India:
  • Reservation of Seats: The reservation of seats for women in local bodies and legislative assemblies has been a successful way to increase women's representation in politics. More such reservation policies could be implemented to provide women with more opportunities to participate in decision-making processes.
  • Increasing Awareness and Education: Creating awareness among women about their rights and the importance of their participation in politics is essential. Educational programs and awareness campaigns can help to increase women's political participation.
  • Addressing Gender-based Violence and Harassment: Gender-based violence and harassment are major obstacles to women's participation in politics. Addressing these issues through policy and legal measures can create a safer and more supportive environment for women in politics.
  • Reforms in the Electoral Process: Reforms such as introducing proportional representation and preferential voting systems can help to increase women's representation in politics by ensuring that more women get elected.
• These are only a few approaches to increase the number of women in Indian politics. To effect long-lasting change, a multifaceted strategy addressing multiple challenges is required.

Inter-Services Organizations Bill, 2023

Context: Recently, the Inter-Services Organisations (Command, Control and Discipline) Bill, 2023, was introduced in Lok Sabha to empower designated military commanders to take charge of soldiers and enforce discipline, regardless of the service they belong to.

• The bill came ahead of the impending move to establish integrated or joint commands, where all the manpower and assets will be under the operational control of a single three-star general of the Indian Army, Navy and IAF (Indian Air Force).

What are the Key Provisions of the Bill?

• The system is likely to include five joint services commands - western, eastern, northern, maritime, and air defense.
• The central government may constitute an Inter-services Organisation, which may include a Joint Services Command.
• It will empower the Commander-in-Chief/the Officer-in Command of Inter-Services Organisations to maintain discipline and ensure proper discharge of duties of all the personnel from the army, navy and IAF serving under his command.
• The Commander-in-Chief or the Officer-in-Command of an Inter-services Organisation shall be the head of such Inter-services Organisation.

What is the Current Set up of Indian Armed forces?

• At present, soldiers from their respective services are governed by different Acts of Parliament.
• They are the Navy Act of 1957, the Air Force Act of 1950, and the Army Act of 1950.
• In a current joint services setup, an army soldier commanded by a navy officer would have to be sent back to his parent unit for any disciplinary proceedings. The navy officer does not have administrative powers over the said soldier.
• The Indian armed forces currently have 17 commands. There are 7 commands each of the Army and the Air Force. The Navy has 3 commands.
• Each command is headed by a 4-star rank military officer.
• There is one joint command in Andaman and Nicobar Islands which is the first Tri-Service theatre command of the Indian Armed Forces, based at Port Blair in Andaman and Nicobar Islands of India.
• The other tri-service command, the Strategic Forces Command (SFC), looks after the delivery and operational control of the country’s nuclear assets.
• There are also some tri-service organisations like the Defence Intelligence Agency, Defence Cyber Agency, Defence Space Agency, etc.

How does China Operate its Armed Forces?

• In 2016, China re-organised its 2.3-million People’s Liberation Army into five theatre commands to boost offensive capabilities.
• Its Western Theatre Command handles the entire 3,488-km Line of Actual Control from eastern Ladakh to Arunachal Pradesh.
• India has four Armies and three IAF commands for the northern borders with China.

What is the Significance of the Move?

• The bill will pave way for various tangible benefits such as expeditious disposal of cases, saving time and public money by avoiding multiple proceedings and greater integration and joint Manship amongst Armed Forces personnel.

Basic Animal Husbandry Statistics 2022

Context: Recently, the Ministry of Fisheries, Animal Husbandry & Dairying has released the ‘Basic Animal Husbandry Statistics 2022, showing an increase in the milk, eggs and meat productions in India.

• The contribution of livestock in the agriculture sector has been showing steady improvement that signifies its growing importance for the country’s economy.

What are the Key Highlights?

Milk Production:

• Total milk production in India was 221.06 million tonnes in 2021-2022, keeping It the largest milk producing country in the world.
• Production had increased by 5.29% over the previous year.
• The Indigenous cattle contribute 10.35% of the total milk production in the country whereas non-descript cattle contribute 9.82% and non-descript buffaloes contribute 13.49% of the total milk production in the country.
• Top five major milk producing States are Rajasthan (15.05%), Uttar Pradesh (14.93%), Madhya Pradesh (8.06%), Gujarat (7.56%) and Andhra Pradesh (6.97%).

Egg Production:

• The total egg production was 129.60 billion numbers, and it is an increase by 6.19% than the previous year.
• Top five egg producing States are Andhra Pradesh (20.41%), Tamil Nadu (16.08%), Telangana (12.86%), West Bengal (8.84%) and Karnataka (6.38%) and these States together contribute 64.56% of total egg production in the country.

Meat Production:

• The total meat production in the country was 9.29 million tonnes, increasing by 5.62% as compared to the previous year.
• The meat production from poultry is contributing about 51.44% of the total production.
• The top five meat producing States are Maharashtra (12.25%), Uttar Pradesh (12.14%), West Bengal (11.63%), Andhra Pradesh (11.04%) and Telangana (10.82%). They together contribute 57.86% of total meat production in the country.

Wool:

• The total wool production in the country during 2021-22 was 33.13 thousand tonnes which had declined by 10.30% as compared to previous year.
• The top five major wool producing States are Rajasthan (45.91%), Jammu and Kashmir (23.19%), Gujarat (6.12%), Maharashtra (4.78%) and Himachal Pradesh (4.33%).

What is Animal Husbandry?

About:

• Animal husbandry refers to livestock raising and selective breeding. It is the management and care of animals in which the genetic qualities and behavior of animals are further developed for profit.
• India is the highest livestock owner of the world.
• As per the 20th Livestock Census, the total Livestock population is 535.78 million in the country showing an increase of 4.6% over Livestock Census-2012.
• Animal rearing has multidimensional potential.
• For instance, Operation Flood, launched in 1970, helped dairy farmers direct their own development, increased milk production ("a flood of milk"), augmented rural incomes and ensured reasonable prices for consumers.

Significance:

• Economic Development: Animal husbandry is a significant contributor to the economy of many countries. It generates employment opportunities, income, and foreign exchange through the export of animal-based products.
• Sustainable Agriculture: Animal husbandry plays a crucial role in sustainable agriculture by providing manure for soil fertility, controlling pests and weeds, and reducing the use of chemical fertilizers and pesticides.
• Genetic Improvement: Animal husbandry also contributes to genetic improvement of livestock through selective breeding and genetic engineering, leading to higher productivity, improved disease resistance, and better quality of animal-based products.

Women and Men in India 2022

Context: Recently, the Ministry of Statistics and Programme Implementation has released Women and Men in India 2022 report.

What are the Findings of the Report?

Sex Ratio:

• The sex ratio at birth went up by three points to 907 in 2018-20 from 904 in 2017-19.
• India’s sex ratio (females per 1,000 males) is expected to improve to 952 by 2036, up significantly from 943 in 2011.

Labour Force Participation:

• India’s Labour Force Participation Rate for those above 15 years of age has been on the rise since 2017-2018. However, women are severely lagging behind men.
• The rate was 77.2 for males and 32.8 for females in 2021-22, with no improvement in this disparity over the years.
• Less participation is due to social factors, educational qualifications and gender discrimination in terms of wages and opportunities in the workplace.

Population Growth:

• The population growth, already on a downward trend from 2.2% in 1971 to 1.1% in 2021, is projected to fall further to 0.58% in 2036.
• In absolute figures, this translates into 1.2 billion people with 48.5% female population as per Census 2011 to an expected 1.5 billion in 2036 with a marginal improvement in the female population share (48.8%).

Age of Sex Structure:

• India’s age and sex structure, as per which the population under 15 years of age is expected to decline and the population above 60 years is expected to increase by 2036.
• Accordingly, the population pyramid will undergo a shift as the base of the pyramid in 2036 would narrow down, while the middle would be broadened.
• The age and sex structure of a country’s population can affect gender issues in a variety of ways. Age structure impacting various aspects of societies is determined primarily by trends in fertility and mortality.

Access to Health Information and Services:

• Lack of access to resources and decision-making power, restrictions on mobility, etc make access to health information and services more difficult for women and girls than men and boys.

Fertility Rate:

• The age-specific fertility rate for the 20-24 year and 25-29 years age group between 2016 and 2020 reduced from 135.4 and 166.0 to 113.6 and 139.6 respectively.
  • This is likely a function of economic independence by attaining proper education and securing a job.
• The same indicator for the 35-39 years age group increased from 32.7 in 2016 to 35.6 in 2020.
  • The mean age for marriage has improved marginally up from 22.1 years in 2017 to 22.7 years in 2020.

India’s Inland Water Transport

Context: Government intends to increase the share of Inland Water Transport (IWT) to 5% as per Maritime India Vision (MIV)-2030.

What is the IWT?

About:

• Inland water transport refers to the transportation of people, goods, and materials via waterways such as rivers, canals, lakes, and other navigable bodies of water that are located within a country's boundaries.
• IWT is the most economical mode of transportation, especially for bulk cargo like coal, iron ore, cement, food grains and fertilizer. Presently, it remains underutilized at a share of 2% in India’s modal mix.

Socio-Economic Benefits of IWT:

• Cheaper operating cost and relatively lesser fuel consumption
• Less polluting mode of transportation
• Lesser requirement of land relative to other modes of transportation
• More environment friendly mode of transportation
• Moreover, waterways can be used for recreational purposes such as boating and fishing.

What is the Scope and Challenges of Inland Waterways in India?

About:

• India has an extensive network of inland waterways, including rivers, canals, and backwaters, covering over 20,000 kilometers in length. Inland water transport has enormous potential in India as a mode of transportation for both passengers and cargo.
• Priority development of National Waterway-1 was undertaken through the Jal Vikas Marg Project (JVMP), which includes Arth Ganga, and they will give an economic boost of Rs 1,000 crore over the next five years.
• The inland waterways can play a crucial role in realising Prime Minister (PM) vision of making India a zero-carbon emission country by 2070.

Challenges:

• No Navigability throughout the Year:
• Some rivers are seasonal and do not offer navigability through the year. Around 20 out of the 111 identified national waterways have reportedly been found unviable.
• Intensive Capital and Maintenance Dredging:
• All the identified waterways require intensive capital and maintenance dredging, which could be resisted by the local community on environmental grounds, including displacement fears, thereby posing implementation challenges.

Other Uses of water:

• Water also has important competing uses, viz. need for living as well as for irrigation, power generation etc. It would not be possible for the local government/others to overlook these needs.

Exclusive Jurisdiction of the Central Government:

• The exclusive jurisdiction of the Central Government is only in regard to shipping and navigation on inland waterways declared to be ‘national waterways’ by an act of Parliament.
• Utilisation/sailing of vessels, in other waterways, is within the ambit of the concurrent list or is in the jurisdiction of the respective state governments.

What is Maritime India Vision 2030?

About:

• It is a ten-year blueprint for the maritime sector which was released by the Prime Minister at the Maritime India Summit in November 2020.
• It will supersede the Sagarmala initiative and aims to boost waterways, give a fillip to the shipbuilding industry and encourage cruise tourism in India.

Policy Initiatives and Development Projects:

• Maritime Development Fund: A Rs. 25,000-crore fund, which will provide low cost, long-tenure financing to the sector with the Centre contributing Rs. 2,500 crores over seven years.
• Port Regulatory Authority: A pan-India port authority will be set up under the new Indian Ports Act (to replace the old Indian Ports Act 1908) for enabling oversight across major and non-major ports, enhance institutional coverage for ports and provide for structured growth of the ports sector to boost investor confidence.
• Eastern Waterways Connectivity Transport Grid project: It will aim to develop regional connectivity with Bangladesh, Nepal, Bhutan and Myanmar.
• Riverine Development Fund: Calls for extending low cost, long-term financing for inland vessels with the support of a Riverine Development Fund (RDF) and for extending the coverage of the tonnage tax scheme (applicable to ocean-going ships and dredgers) to inland vessels also to enhance the availability of such vessels.
• Rationalisation of Port Charges: It will make them more competitive, besides doing away with all hidden charges levied by ship liners to bring in more transparency.
• Promotion of Water Transport: For decongestion of urban areas, and developing waterways as an alternative means of urban transport.

Way Forward

• With India’s burgeoning population and increasing traffic, the development of inland waterways will not only reduce travel time and ensure a seamless journey for people and goods, be cost-effective, and bring down pollution levels, we can holistically design a policy that factors in safety, infrastructure support, inter-state coordination and integrate with other transportation modes.

Khalistan Issue

Context: Amritpal Singh, a follower of the Sikh militant Jarnail Singh Bhindranwale who has been preaching the Idea of Khalistan Separatist Movement in Punjab for a few months, has managed to escape.

What is the Khalistan Movement?

• The Khalistan movement is a fight for a separate, sovereign Sikh state in present day Punjab (both India and Pakistan).
• The movement was crushed in India following Operation Blue Star (1984) and Operation Black Thunder (1986 and 1988), but it continues to evoke sympathy and support among sections of the Sikh population, especially in the Sikh diaspora in countries such as Canada, the UK, and Australia.

What is the Timeline of the Khalistan Movement?

India’s Independence and Partition:

• The origins of the movement have been traced back to India’s independence and subsequent Partition along religious lines.
• The Punjab province, which was divided between India and Pakistan, saw some of the worst communal violence and generated millions of refugees.
• Lahore, the capital of Maharaja Ranjit Singh’s great Sikh Empire, went to Pakistan, as did holy Sikh sites including Nankana Sahib, the birthplace of Guru Nanak, the founder of Sikhism.

Demand for Autonomous Punjabi Suba:

• The political struggle for greater autonomy began around the time of Independence, with the Punjabi Suba Movement for the creation of a Punjabi-speaking state.
• In 1966, after years of protest, Punjab was reorganized to reflect the Punjabi Suba demand.
• The erstwhile Punjab state was trifurcated into the Hindi-speaking, Hindu-majority states of Himachal Pradesh and Haryana, and the Punjabi-speaking, Sikh-majority Punjab.

Anandpur Sahib Resolution:

• In 1973, Akali Dal, the major force in the new Sikh-majority Punjab, released a list of demands that would guide the political path among other things, the Anandpur Sahib Resolution demanded autonomy for the state of Punjab, identified regions that would be part of a separate state, and sought the right to frame its own internal constitution.
• While the Akalis themselves repeatedly made it clear that they were not demanding secession from India, for the Indian state, the Anandpur Sahib Resolution was of grave concern.

Bhindranwala:

• Jarnail Singh Bhindranwale, a charismatic preacher, soon positioned himself as “the authentic voice of the Sikhs, in contrast to the Akali Dal’s leadership.
• It is believed that Bhindranwale was propped up by Sanjay Gandhi to stand against the Akalis for Congress’s political benefit. However, by the 1980s, Bhindranwale had grown so much that he started to become a problem for the government.

Dharam Yudh Morcha:

• In 1982, Bhindranwale, with support from the Akali Dal’s leadership, launched a civil disobedience movement called the Dharam Yudh Morcha. He took up residence inside the Golden Temple, directing demonstrations and clashes with the police.
• The movement was geared towards the demands first articulated in the Anandpur Sahib Resolution, which addressed concerns of the state’s rural Sikh population. However, amidst growing religious polarization, sectarian violence, and Bhindranwale’s own harsh rhetoric against Hindus, Indira Gandhi’s government declared the movement tantamount to secession.

Operation Bluestar:

• Operation Blue Star began on 1st June 1984, but due to fierce resistance from Bhindranwale and his heavily armed supporters, the Army’s operation became larger and more violent than had been originally intended, with the use of tanks and air support.
• Bhindranwale was killed and the Golden Temple was freed of militants, however it gravely wounded the Sikh community around the world.
• It also galvanised the demand for Khalistan.

Aftermath of Operation Bluestar:

• In October 1984, Prime Minister Indira Gandhi was assassinated by two Sikh bodyguards, triggering the worst communal violence since Partition, where over 8,000 Sikhs were massacred in massive anti-Sikh violence.
• A year later, Sikh nationalists based in Canada blew up an Air India flight killing 329 people. They claimed that the attack was to “avenge Bhindranwale’s killing”.
• Punjab saw the worst violence, becoming the hub of a long-drawn-out insurgency that lasted till 1995.
• The bulk of the population turned against the militants, and India headed towards economic liberalisation.

What is the Status of the Khalistan movement today?

• Punjab has long been peaceful, but the movement lives among some Sikh communities overseas.
• The diaspora is composed predominantly of people who don’t want to live in India.
• These people include many who remember the bad old days of the 1980s, and thus the support for Khalistan remains stronger there.
• The deep-rooted anger over Operation Blue Star and the desecration of the Golden Temple continues to resonate with some in the newer generations of Sikhs. However, even as Bhindranwale is viewed as a martyr by many and the 1980s remembered as dark times, this has not manifested into tangible political support for the Khalistan cause.
• There is a small minority that is clinging to the past, and that small minority remains significant not because of popular support, but rather because they are trying to keep up their political influence with various political parties both from the left and the right.