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Geo-heritage Sites and Geo-relics Bill, 2022

Context

• Recently, the draft Geo-heritage Sites and Geo-relics (Preservation and Maintenance) Bill was notified by the Ministry of Mines.

Geo-heritage Sites and Geo-relics

• According to the Ministry of Mines, the Geological Survey of India (GSI) declares geo-heritage sites/national geological monuments for protection and maintenance. 
  • The GSI or the respective state governments take necessary measures to protect these sites.
  • The 32 geo-heritage sites spread across 13 states in India.
• GSI:
  • Coming under the Ministry of Mines, the GSI was established in 1851 to investigate and assess coal and other mineral resources of the country through regional-level exploration.

Issues with preservation and threats

• Sites in India:
  • According to the draft, the fossil wealth of dinosaur remains of Madhya Pradesh and Gujarat, marine fossils of Kutch and Spiti, and oldest life forms viz. stromatolites of Rajasthan and Madhya Pradesh are of great geo heritage and geo-tourism value. 
  • The world’s oldest metallurgical records of gold, lead and zinc in Rajasthan and Andhra Pradesh are still preserved but are under great threat.
• Absence of legislation:
  • The Bill states that despite identifying these sites, there are concerns over their preservation. 
  • Due to the absence of any legislation in the country for the protection, preservation and maintenance of the geo-heritage sites, these are increasingly threatened with destruction not only by the natural causes of decay but also by population pressure and changing social and economic conditions which are aggravating the situation.

Draft bill highlights

• Aim:
  • The Bill is aimed at providing for the declaration, preservation, protection and maintenance of geo-heritage sites and geo-relics of national importance, for geological studies, education, research and awareness purposes.
• Definitions:
  • The draft bill defines Geoheritage sites as: 
    • Sites containing geo-relics and phenomena, stratigraphic type sections, geological structures and geomorphic landforms including caves, natural rock-sculptures of national and international interest; and includes such portion of land adjoining the site, that may be required for their conservation or to access to such sites.
  • A Geo-relic is defined as: 
    • Any relic or material of geological significance or interest like sediments, rocks, minerals, meteorites or fossils. 
    • The GSI will have the power to acquire geo-relics “for its preservation and maintenance”.
• Role of Central Government:
  • The bill would authorise the Central Government to declare a geoheritage site to be of national importance. 
  • This would be under the provisions of the Right to Fair Compensation and Transparency in Land Acquisition, Rehabilitation and Resettlement Act, 2013 (RFCTLARR Act). 
• Raising objections:
  • Through a public notification in the Official Gazette, the government would spell out what areas were to be acquired by it, and objections to this can be raised within two months.
• Compensation to the land owners:
  • Provision is made for compensation to the owner or occupier of land who incurs loss or damage from the land due to the exercise of any power under this Act. 
  • The market value of any property will be ascertained in accordance with the principles set out in the RFCTLARR Act.
• Prohibitions:
  • The Bill imposes a prohibition on construction, reconstruction, repair or renovation of any building within the geo-heritage site area or utilisation of such area in any other manner, except for construction for preservation and maintenance of the geo-heritage site or any public work essential to the public.
• Penalties:
  • Penalties for destruction, removal, defacement or contravention of any direction issued by the Director General, GSI in the geo-heritage site are mentioned. 
  • There is a penalty of imprisonment which may extend to six months or a fine which may extend to Rs.5 lakh or both. 
  • In the case of a continuing contravention, an additional fine of up to Rs.50,000 for every day of continuing contravention may be imposed.

Concerns & challenges

• Issues of distribution of power:
  • The need for the preservation of such sites, and particular laws for them, has been felt for a long. 
  • But as a Science article points out, there are concerns over the distribution of power as mentioned in the Bill.
• Issues with local communities:
  • GSI has the authority to acquire any material of geological significance, including sediments, rocks, minerals, meteorites, and fossils, as well as sites of geological importance. 
  • The issue of land acquisition for the purpose of safeguarding these sites could also lead to issues with local communities.
• Need of more inclusive body:
  • Critics are demanding a more inclusive body, on the lines of a National Geoheritage Authority, that can, more democratically, decide on declaring sites as being of ‘geohistorical’ importance and how best to preserve artefacts and finds.

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Way ahead

• Given the premium for land and India’s economic needs, there will be conflict over questions of preservation and livelihood, but any legislation must endeavour to balance these forces and enable consensus.

Context

Recently, the Ministry of Health and Family Welfare has modified National Organ Transplantation Guidelines, allowing those above 65 years of age to receive an organ for transplantation from deceased donors.

• In India, Transplantation of Human Organs Act, 1994 provides various regulations for the removal of human organs and its storage. It also regulates the transplantation of human organs for therapeutic purposes and for the prevention of commercial dealings in human organs.

What are the Highlights of the New Guidelines?

• Removed Age Cap:
  • The upper age limit has been removed as people are now living longer.
    • Earlier, according to the NOTTO (National Organ and Tissue Transplant Organization) guidelines, an end-stage organ failure patient above 65 years of age was prohibited from registering to receive the organ.
• No Domicile Requirement:
  • The ministry has removed the domicile requirement to register as an organ recipient in a particular state under a ‘One Nation, One Policy’ move.
  • Now a needy patient can register to receive an organ in any state of his or her choice and will also be able to get the surgery done there.
• No Fees for Registration:
  • There will be no registration fee that states used to charge for this purpose, the Centre has asked states that used to charge for such registration to not do so.
  • Among the states that sought money for registration were Gujarat, Telangana, Maharashtra, and Kerala.
    • Certain states asked for anything between Rs 5,000 and Rs 10,000 to register a patient on the organ recipient waitlist.

What is the Purpose of New Guidelines?

• The Centre is planning to make changes in the rules of Transplantation of Human Organs (Amendment) Act 2011 towards creating a national policy for transplantation.
• Currently, different states have different rules; the Union government is considering changes to the rules so that there is a standard criterion followed in all states across the country.
• However, Health being a state subject, the rules formed by the central government will not be binding on the states.
• The steps are aimed at better and more equitable access to organs and also to promote cadaver donations, which currently form a minuscule fraction of all organ transplants carried out in India.

What is the Scenario of Organ Transplantation in India?

• India conducts the third highest number of transplants in the world.
• Organs from deceased donors accounted for nearly 17.8% of all transplants in 2022.
• The total number of deceased organ transplants climbed from 837 in 2013 to 2,765 in 2022.
• The total number of organ transplants – with organs from both deceased and living donors – increased from 4,990 in 2013 to 15,561 in 2022.
• Every year, an estimated 1.5-2 lakh people need a kidney transplant.
  • Only around 10,000 got one in 2022. Of the 80,000 people who required a liver transplant, less than 3,000 got one in 2022.
  • And, of the 10,000 who needed a heart transplant, only 250 got it in 2022.

Way Forward

• Promoting Organ donations is an important initiative that can save lives and benefit society as a whole.
• By increasing awareness, educating the public, and improving the donation process, we can make organ and tissue donation more accessible and increase the number of potential donors.
• For increasing accessibility of donated organs to weaker sections, the public hospitals need to increase the infrastructural capacity to carry out transplantation and provide affordable proper treatment to the poor.
• It is suggested that cross-subsidization will increase accessibility to the weaker section. For every 3 or 4 transplants, the private hospitals should carry out free of cost transplantation to the section of the population that donates a majority of organs.

National Curriculum Framework for Foundational Stage

Context

Recently, the Ministry of Education has launched Learning - Teaching Material for the Foundational Stage under National Education Policy 2020 and Jadui Pitara was launched at the Occasion.

• In October 2022, the Ministry of Education launched the National Curriculum Framework for Foundational Stage (NCF-FS) education of children in the three to eight years age group.

What is Jadui Pitara?

• Jadui Pitara is a play-based learning-teaching material tailored for children between the age group of 3-8 years.
• It comprises playbooks, toys, puzzles, posters, flash cards, story books, worksheets as well as reflecting the local culture, social context and languages is designed to pique curiosity and accommodate the diverse needs of learners in the foundational stage.
• Jadui Pitara has been developed under the National Curriculum Framework (NCF) and is available in 13 Indian languages.
• It aims at enriching the learning-teaching environment and making it more child-centric, lively and joyful for the Amrit Generation as envisioned in the NEP 2020.

What is NCF?

• About:
  • NCF is one of the key components of NEP 2020, that enables and energizes this transformation, informed by the aims, principles, and approach of NEP 2020.
• Four Sections of NCF:
  • NCF for School Education
  • NCF for Early Childhood Care and Education (Foundational Stage)
  • NCF for Teacher Education
  • NCF for Adult Education
• NCFFS:
  • The NCF for the Foundational Stage (NCFFS) is developed based on the vision of the NEP 2020.
    • The Foundational Stage refers to children in the age group of 3 to 8 years, across the entire range of diverse institutions in India.
  • This is the first Stage in the 5+3+3+4 Curricular and Pedagogical restructuring of School Education as envisioned in NEP 2020.
  • The NCFFS has been developed by NCERT through an extensive consultative process with States & UTs upto grass root level and various institutions and organisations.
• Objective:
  • It aims to help in positively transforming the school education system of India as envisioned in NEP 2020, through corresponding positive changes in the curriculum including pedagogy.
  • It aims to realize the highest quality education for all children, consistent with realizing an equitable, inclusive, and plural society as envisaged by the Constitution of India.

What is the National Education Policy 2020?

• About:
  • The NEP 2020 is a comprehensive framework for education reform in India that was approved in 2020, aiming to bring significant changes in the education system of India by providing a holistic and multidisciplinary approach to education.
• Features of the NEP 2020:
  • Universalization of education from preschool to secondary level.
  • Introduction of a new pedagogical and curricular structure based on cognitive and socio-emotional development of students.
  • Emphasis on the development of foundational literacy and numeracy skills in primary education.
  • Increased focus on research and development in education.

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Corrupt Practices in Representation of People Act, 1951

Context

The Supreme Court observed that providing false information about an electoral candidate’s qualifications cannot be considered a corrupt practice.

What is the Representation of People Act, 1951?

• The electoral system in India is governed by Articles 324 to 329 of Part XV of the Indian Constitution.
• The Parliament has the power to adopt laws concerning elections to the Parliament and the State Legislature, according to the Constitution.
• Article 324 of the Constitution establishes the Election Commission of India as the country's watchdog for free and fair elections.
• In this context, the Representation of the People Act (RPA), 1950, and the Representation of the People Act, 1951, were enacted by Parliament.
• It governs elections to the Houses of Parliament and the Houses of the State Legislature, as well as the qualifications and disqualifications for membership in those Houses.
• It also governs the conduct of such elections and the resolution of doubts and disputes.

What happened in the present case?

• In ‘Anugrah Narayan Singh v. Harsh Vardhan Bajpayee’, a bench of the Apex Court heard a plea challenging a 2017 Allahabad High Court ruling.
• The ruling was regarding, dismissing a similarly titled petition to declare the election of an MLA as null and void.
• However, the Apex Court refused to interfere with the High Court’s order of dismissal.
• The petition argued that the MLA indulged in a corrupt practice under Section 123(2) and Section 123 (4) of the RPA, 1951.
• The Allahabad High Court held that inaccuracy or concealment regarding educational qualification of the respondent did not amount to unduly influencing the voters.

What are corrupt practices under the RPA, 1951?

• Section 123 of the Act – It defines corrupt practices to include bribery, undue influence, false information, and promotion or attempted promotion of feelings of enmity by a candidate.
• Section 123 (2) – It deals with undue influence which it defines as any direct or indirect interference on the part of the candidate with the free exercise of any electoral right.
• This could also include threats of injury, social ostracism and expulsion from any caste or community.
• Section 123 (3) – It prohibits the candidate from using their race, caste, community or language for the purpose of seeking votes.
• Section 123 (4) – It extends the ambit of “corrupt practices” to the intentional publication of false statements which can prejudice the outcome of the candidate’s election.

What practices has the court held as corrupt practices in the past?

• In 2017, the apex court held that an election will be annulled if votes are sought in the name of a candidate’s religion, race, caste, community, or language, as per Section 123 (3).
• In 1994, in SR Bommai v. Union of India, the court held, religion cannot be mixed with any secular activity of the State.
• In 1955, the Apex Court in Jamuna Prasad Mukhariya v. Lacchi Ram upheld the constitutional validity of Section 123 (3).
• In 2022, the SC directed a 3 judge bench to look into its 2013 judgment in S. Subramaniam Balaji vs State of Tamil Nadu, where the court held that promises of freebies cannot be termed a corrupt practice.

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New India Literacy Programme

Context

• Government has launched a new Centrally Sponsored Scheme namely, “New India Literacy Programme” (NILP) for implementation during five years from the FYs 2022-23 to 2026-27.

About

• The scheme aims to cover a target of 5.00 crore non-literates in the age group of 15 years and above. 
• The Scheme has five components: (i) Foundational Literacy and Numeracy, (ii) Critical Life Skills, (iii) Vocational Skills Development, (iv) Basic Education and (v) Continuing Education.
• The beneficiaries under the scheme are identified through door to door survey on Mobile App by the surveyors in the States/UTs. 
• The non-literate can also avail the benefit of the scheme through direct registration from any place through mobile app. The scheme is mainly based on volunteerism for teaching and learning. 
• The scheme is based on technology and implemented predominantly through online mode. The teaching learning material and resources have been made available on the DIKSHA platform of NCERT and can be accessed through the mobile-apps.

Foundational literacy

• FLN is a person’s ability to read basic texts and solve basic math problems (such as addition and subtraction).
• Issues
  • Improvement in school infrastructure, uniforms, toilet access, water and textbook availability, classroom processes remain a challenge.
  • Lack of direct funds to schools, teacher vacancies, allocation of non-teaching tasks to teachers negatively affects the education.
  • A systematic way of recruiting good teachers and establishing teacher development institutions is still absent.
  • Poor governance affects the effectiveness of face-to-face or digital teacher development initiatives like Nishtha, Pratham’s Read India campaign, etc.
• Initiaives:
  • Nipun Bharat: it was launched with a vision to ensure universal literacy and numeracy for Class 3 children by 2026-27.
    • It envisaged a five-tier implementation mechanism, set up at the National- State- District- Block- School level in all States and UTs, under the aegis of the Centrally Sponsored Scheme of Samagra Shiksha.
  • NEP 2020 – The National Education Policy (NEP):  It has provisions for National Mission on Foundational Literacy and Numeracy for attaining universal foundational literacy and numeracy in all primary schools.
    • It also aims to identify state-wise targets and goals to be achieved by 2025.

Way ahead

• The foundational literacy can be further improved with use of technology, decentralization of funds and making the community a participant in the process.