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India on August 12, 2022 indirectly called upon China to not alter the "status quo" around Taiwan, and cautioned that the current situation should not lead to any "unilateral action".
Addressing the weekly press briefing, Ministry of External Affairs spokesperson Arindam Bagchi refrained from spelling out India's clear position on the 'One China' policy but conveyed the impression that India's stand on China's claims over Taiwan is linked to Beijing's persistent unwillingness to support India's campaign against Pakistan-based terror elements.
Significantly, India’s comments on the Taiwan crisis came a day after China placed a technical hold on an India-backed proposal at the UN Security Council to blacklist the deputy chief of Pakistan-based terror group Jaish-e-Mohammed.
Like many other countries, India too is concerned at recent developments. We urge the exercise of restraint, avoidance of unilateral actions to change status quo, de-escalation of tensions and efforts to maintain peace and stability in the region.
India has been maintaining a studied silence on the situation as China halted the military drill near Taiwan but announced that its "war preparation" would continue.
As the crisis intensified over the U.S. House Speaker Nancy Pelosi's visit to Taiwan, China intensified global diplomacy and reached out to countries in Southeast and South Asia seeking support for its 'One China' policy.
A Spokesperson of the Embassy of China here earlier had said that 170 countries have supported the 'One China' policy and that China would not "renounce" the option of force in dealing with Taiwan.
When asked about India's position on the 'One China' policy, Mr Bagchi said, "India's relevant policies are well known and consistent. They do not require reiteration."
The official comments from the Indian side reflect New Delhi's disappointment over the "technical hold" that China placed on the listing for Jaish e Mohammed leader Abdul Rauf Asghar at the UN Security Council on August 11.
Mr Bagchi described the Chinese move that prevented the blacklisting of Mr Asghar as "unfortunate" and "most uncalled for".
States
Centre to file review petition on eco sensitive zones in SC (Page no. 5)
(GS Paper 3, Environment)
Union Minister of Environment, Forest and Climate Change Bhupender Yadav has said the Ministry will file a review petition in the Supreme Court urging a relook into its judgment on eco-sensitive zones.
Speaking at the observance of the World Elephant Day at the Periyar Tiger Reserve in Thekkady on Friday, Mr. Yadav said the Centre would seek a review of Sections 44A and 44E of the judgment as more clarity was required on the issue.
The Sections pertained to the directive to notify eco-sensitive zones (ESZ) of minimum 1 km from the demarcated boundaries of protected areas, and the exemption provided for ongoing activities within the proposed ESZ, provided they did not figure on the ‘prohibited list’.
Mr. Yadav added that a committee had been formed to adopt a ‘holistic’ approach on the reports of the Kasturirangan and Gagdil committees for the conservation of the Western Ghats. The panel will also consider the representations submitted by the public.
Forest Minister A.K. Saseendran welcomed Mr. Yadav’s assurance to intervene in the contentious issue surrounding the proposed ESZ.
He also expressed optimism that the Central government would earnestly consider the State’s demand to exclude human inhabited areas from the buffer zone.
Editorial
Moving policy away from population control (Page no. 6)
(GS Paper 3, Economy)
The United Nations’ World Population Prospects (WPP), 2022, forecasts India becoming the most populous country by 2023, surpassing China, with a 140 crore population.
This is four times the population India had at the time of Independence in 1947 (34 crore). Now, at the third stage of the demographic transition, and experiencing a slowing growth rate due to constant low mortality and rapidly declining fertility, India has 17.5% of the world’s population. As per the latest WPP, India will reach 150 crore by 2030 and 166 crore by 2050.
In its 75-year journey since Independence, the country has seen a sea change in its demographic structure. In the 1960s, India had a population growth rate of over 2%.
At the current rate of growth, this is expected to fall to 1% by 2025. However, there is a long way to go for the country to achieve stability in population. This is expected to be achieved no later than 2064 and is projected to be at 170 crore (as mentioned in WPP 2022).
Last year, India reached a significant demographic milestone as, for the first time, its total fertility rate (TFR) slipped to two, below the replacement level fertility (2.1 children per woman), as per the National Family Health Survey.
However, even after reaching the replacement level of fertility, the population will continue to grow for three to four decades owing to the population momentum (large cohorts of women in their reproductive age groups).
Post-Independence, in the 1950s, India had a TFR of six. Several States have reached a TFR of two except for Bihar, Uttar Pradesh, Jharkhand, Manipur and Meghalaya. All these States face bottlenecks in achieving a low TFR.
These include high illiteracy levels, rampant child marriage, high levels of under-five mortality rates, a low workforce participation of women, and low contraceptive usage compared to other States.
A majority of women in these States do not have much of an economic or decisive say in their lives. Without ameliorating the status of women in society (quality of life), only lopsided development is achievable .
A larger population is perceived to mean greater human capital, higher economic growth and improved standards of living. In the last seven decades, the share of the working age population has grown from 50% to 65%, resulting in a remarkable decline in the dependency ratio (number of children and elderly persons per working age population).
News
Electricity Bill ‘problematic’: Opposition (Page no. 8)
(GS Paper 2, Polity and Governance)
The Opposition parties are gearing up for a united move against the Electricity (Amendment) Bill, which has been referred to the Energy Standing Committee of Parliament.
While the Opposition members in the Standing Committee are likely to press their demand that Parliament should not consider “an anti-federal, anti-Constitution” Bill, the Opposition-ruled States will consult each other to frame a united strategy against the Bill.
Kerala Electricity Minister K Krishnankutty told The Hindu that the State is preparing a detailed letter to the Centre against the Bill.
The Kerala Assembly had passed a resolution against a draft of the Bill circulated by the Centre in 2021. This Bill, introduced in Lok Sabha, looks more problematic if we consider the rights of the States.
We are preparing a clause-by-clause criticism of this Bill. This will be sent to the Union Power Ministry and to all States. We will hold discussions with like-minded States to evolve a joint strategy.
In the Standing Committee too, the Opposition is trying to make a joint effort. The panel is headed by JD(U) national president Rajiv Ranjan Singh alias Lallan Singh.
An Opposition member in the panel said the Centre has “very deceitfully” taken the control of generation and distribution of power through the amendments. According to the amendments sought, the State governments will be bound to act on the directions of Centre.
These amendments seek to provide that the mandate of the Centre will be binding on the States. The amendments, therefore, will have severe repercussions for the federal structure of the country.
Opposition-ruled States are likely to challenge the Constitutional validity of the amendments both in Supreme Court and the Standing Committee. “There is an inherent problem with this legislation in that it is anti-Constitutional.
We have demanded that wider consultation among all stakeholders, including all States, is necessary and till that happens the Bill should not be allowed to come into force.
‘Freebies are different from welfare schemes’ (Page no. 9)
(GS Paper 2, Polity and Governance)
We need to understand the definition of freebies or what is being termed as "revri." Freebies are different from welfare schemes.
Suppose a television or refrigerator is given, these are freebies as the improvement of health or education in the long term is not there, there will probably be something in the short term in terms of conveniences for the particular household but not long term.
Whereas welfare schemes as introduced by the Chief Minister of Andhra Pradesh, Jagan Mohan Reddy, are those aimed at improving human capital, living standards and State gross domestic product and per capita income.
For example, Andhra Pradesh is an agrarian state, and the State government has a scheme called Ryathu Bharosa, ₹15,000 per acre per annum, where chief minister is providing income support to farmers, in a state where 70% of the people are engaged in agriculture, rural economy.
We also have a scheme of fee re-imbursement, here the governemnt of Andhra Pradesh is aiding students, improving enrollment and encouraging higher education.
Apart from all these we have the Nadu Nedu scheme for physical imporvement government schools to make them on par with private schools, on health we have set up a government hospital and medical college in all 26 districts of Andhra Pradesh.
All that is important for society and public at large is being addressed. This has a long term impact. We are not giving TVs, refrigirators or iron boxes.
The government is a continuous body, the party in power can change. Unfortunately, following the bifurcation of the state in 2014, the state's borrowings were ₹1.24 lakh crores, during the next five years of the Telugu Desam Party, that has gone up to ₹2.6lakh crores.
In fact, during that period the scheme called Pasuku Kumkuma scheme, giving ₹15,000 to all women, which is a freebie. We haven't done freebies.
Initially in the all party meeting on Sri Lanka and the crisis there, the secretary from the economic affairs department explained the situation there and how, for various reasons, Sri Lanka was facing an economic crisis.
Subsequently, he started explaining the situation of various states of India. The question we posed were, first of all, the secretary should not have made the presentation, when it was the External Affairs Minister S Jaishankar who had briefed on the strategic situation.
Secondly, we objected that a sovereign country like Sri Lanka cannot be compared to individual states. It was completely haphazard.
Essential Commodities Act invoked to rein in tur dal price (Page no. 10)
(GS Paper 2, Polity and Governance)
With tur dal prices surging since mid-July and reports coming in of some traders creating artificial supply squeeze by restricting sales, the Centre has invoked the Essential Commodities Act of 1955 to ask States to monitor and verify the stocks available with such traders.
Tur prices have risen since mid-July amid slow progress in kharif sowing as compared to last year due to excess rainfalls and water logging conditions in parts of major Tur growing states of Karnataka, Maharashtra and Madhya Pradesh, the Department of Consumer Affairs has noted in its rationale for the directive.
On top of the sufficient overall availability of pulses in the domestic market, the government is currently holding about 38 lakh tonnes of pulses which are being released in the market to further augment the stocks available in the market.
The department stressed that it is closely watching the overall availability and prices of pulses in the domestic as well as overseas markets to take pre-emptive steps if there is any unwarranted price rise in the upcoming high demand festival months.
States and Union Territories have also been asked to direct 'stockholder entities to upload the data of stocks held by them' on an online monitoring portal of the Department of Consumer Affairs, on a weekly basis.
The government hopes the move will rein in attempts by some sections of traders and stockists to push the price for Tur dal upwards, by resorting to 'restricted sales' and creating an artificial scarcity.
Centre begins scheme to rehabilitate beggars (Page no. 10)
(GS Paper 2, Polity and Governance)
The Social Justice and Empowerment Ministry on Friday launched the ‘SMILE-75’ initiative for comprehensive rehabilitation of persons engaged in begging in 75 identified municipalities as a part of the celebrations of 75 years of Independence.
The initiative is part of the Ministry’s ongoing SMILE project (Support for Marginalised Individuals for Livelihood and Enterprise) for which ₹100 crore has been allocated till 2025-2026.
Under the SMILE-75 initiative, 75 municipal corporations in collaboration with NGOs and other stakeholders will cover several comprehensive welfare measures for persons who are engaged in the act of begging with focus extensively on rehabilitation, provision of medical facilities, counselling, awareness, education, skill development, economic linkages and convergence with other government welfare programmes etc.
It added that among the aims of the initiative, which was launched by Social Justice and Empowerment Minister Virendra Kumar, was to make the 75 municipalities “begging-free”.
Govt. to enumerate people who clean sewers (Page no. 10)
(GS Paper 2, Polity and Governance)
The Ministry of Social Justice and Empowerment (MoSJ&E) is now preparing to undertake a nationwide survey to enumerate all people engaged in hazardous cleaning of sewers and septic tanks, an activity that has led to at least 351 deaths since 2017.
Drawing a distinction between this work and manual scavenging, the Ministry insisted that the practice of manual scavenging no longer takes place in the country as all manual scavengers had been accounted for and enrolled into the rehabilitation scheme.
Ministry officials said that the enumeration exercise, soon to be conducted across 500 AMRUT (Atal Mission for Rejuvenation and Urban Transformation) cities, is part of the Union government’s National Action Plan for Mechanised Sanitation Ecosystem (NAMASTE), which will streamline the process of rehabilitating sanitation workers and eventually merge with and replace the Self-Employment Scheme for the Rehabilitation of Manual Scavengers (SRMS), which was started in 2007.
The NAMASTE scheme is being undertaken jointly by the Ministry of Housing and Urban Affairs and the MoSJ&E and aims to eradicate unsafe sewer and septic tank cleaning practices.
Officials said that the Ministry’s Standing Finance Committee has already cleared ₹360 crore for this project — to be spent over the next four years.
Parts of this project, already in the works for the past two years, have led to municipal commissioners being declared as the Responsible Sanitation Authorities (RSAs) and Sanitation Response Units (SRUs) being set up in 200 cities, where the national helpline for addressing sanitation needs (14420) has also been operationalised.
Explaining that the enumeration of people engaged in hazardous cleaning of septic tanks and sewers would be the next step, a junior ministry official said that they will now set up Programme Monitoring Units (PMUs) for the 500 AMRUT cities, who will be at the frontlines of carrying out the exercise.