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The Supreme Court decided to reconsider a 2013 judgment, which held that promises in the election manifesto do not constitute a “corrupt practice” under the poll law.
A Bench led by the Chief Justice of India, N.V. Ramana, ordered a three-judge Bench to be set up to review the court’s earlier position that such pre-poll promises made by political parties to entice voters do not fall within the ambit of Section 123 (corrupt practices) under the Representation of the People (RP) Act.
The S. SubramaniamBalaji judgment, delivered by a two-judge Bench, had observed that “although the law is obvious that the promises in the election manifesto cannot be construed as ‘corrupt practice’ under Section 123 of RP Act, the reality cannot be ruled out that distribution of freebies of any kind, undoubtedly, influences all people”.
Chief Justice Ramana said the three-judge Bench should consider whether an “enforceable” order can be passed to stop political parties in power from promising and distributing “irrational freebies”, completely divorced from actual welfare schemes, using public money in order to merely “capture vote banks”.
The court said the three-judge Bench should also deliberate if an expert body can be formed to independently study and make recommendations against the distribution of largesse at the cost of the national economy and public welfare.
It was Chief Justice Ramana’s Bench which initiated the idea of forming an expert committee to examine the problem of free gifts and prepare a “White Paper” suggesting the way forward. The court had recently even urged the Centre to call an all party meeting to discuss freebies.
But the debate before Chief Justice Ramana’s Bench reached a stalemate when several political parties intervened to argue that “not all promises are freebies” and welfare measures rolled out for public good cannot be equated with “freebies”.
The parties had dissuaded the court from “gagging” a welfare state from following the Directive Principles of State Policy and distribute benefits to the people.
Ultimately, it appears that the issues raised by the parties require a comprehensive hearing before orders can be passed.The court ordered the freebies case to be listed before the new three-judge Bench in four weeks.
It said the electorate was the final judge in a democracy, deciding which party should come to power and whether they should remain at the helm after the next elections.
FIFA lifts ban on Indian football body (Page no. 1)
(GS Paper 2, International Institutions)
Sports Minister Anurag Thakur termed FIFA’s lifting of India’s suspension as a “victory of all football fans” in the country after the global body had banned the country due to “undue influence from third parties“.
Mr. Thakur's Ministry did play an active role in co-ordinating with FIFA as the Supreme Court of India ended the tenure of Committee of Administrators (COA), which was primary requirement to lift the ban.
Delighted to share the Bureau of the FIFA Council decided today to lift the suspension of the AIFF with immediate effect. The FIFA U-17 Women’s World Cup 2022 scheduled to take place on 11-30 October 2022 will be held in India as planned! A victory for all football fans!.
In a huge sigh of relief for all the stakeholders, India have now been cleared to host the Women's U-17 World Cup in October this year after the suspension cast serious doubts on whether the tournament could at all be hosted in the country.
The AIFF elections will now be held on September 2 with the legendary BhaichungBhutia and former goalkeeper KalyanChaubey set to have a straight fight for the post of president.
FIFA on late Friday night lifted the suspension imposed on August 15 after the Supreme Court terminated the mandate of the Committee of Administrators (CoA).
FIFA had then categorically said that the ban meant the U-17 Women's World Cup "cannot currently be held in India as planned." But things finally started to fall in place after the intervention of the Sports Ministry, which approached the apex court.
The suspension, the first time in AIFF's 85-year history, was lifted after the Supreme Court on Monday dissolved the three-member CoA, constituted by it in May, while modifying its earlier orders to ensure that India hosts the FIFA Under-17 Women's World Cup from October 11-30.
The Bureau of the FIFA Council has decided to lift the suspension that was imposed on the All India Football Federation (AIFF) due to undue third-party influence.
The decision was taken after FIFA received confirmation that the mandate of the committee of administrators that was set up to assume the powers of the AIFF Executive Committee had been terminated and that the AIFF administration had regained full control of the AIFF's daily affairs.
As a consequence, the FIFA U-17 Women's World Cup 2022 scheduled to take place on 11-30 October 2022 will be held in India as planned.
FIFA said it and the AFC will continue to monitor the situation and will support the AIFF in conducting its elections in a timely manner.
The darkest hour of Indian Football is finally over. The suspension that was slapped on midnight of August 15 on the AIFF, has been lifted by FIFA.
States
Kerala HC wants clampdown on illegal religious places (Page no. 3)
(GS Paper 2, Constitution)
The Kerala High Court has asked the Chief Secretary and the State Police Chief to issue orders to prevent the illegal functioning of religious places and prayer halls.
No religious places and prayer halls should be allowed to function without obtaining permission from the competent authorities, and all such illegal halls and religious places should be shut down, Justice P. V. Kunhikrishnan said in the order.
Dismissing a petition filed by Noorul Islam SamskarikaSangham, Thottekkad, Amarambalam, seeking to change a commercial building in its possession into a Muslim place of worship, the court asked the State authorities to consider the applications to start religious places and prayer halls strictly and issue the approval only in appropriate cases.
The Chief Secretary should issue a circular prohibiting the change of category of a building to a religious place/ prayer hall except in inevitable circumstances and only in the rarest of rare cases.
A report from the police and intelligence wing ascertaining the ground realities of that particular place should be obtained during the process, the court directed.
The court noted that there were 36 mosques within the vicinity of the commercial building of the petitioner. There was no need for another mosque in that vicinity and the devotees could go to the nearby mosques.
Though Article 26 (a) of the Constitution states that subject to the public order, morality and health, every religious denomination or any section thereof shall have the right to establish and maintain institutions for religious and charitable purposes, it does not mean that they can construct religious places in every nook and corner of the country, the court observed.
The State has 10 times higher number of religious structures than the total number of its villages.The number of places of worship in the State is almost 3.5 times higher than the number of hospitals.
If any religious places and prayer halls are allowed in Kerala without any guidelines, there will be no place for the citizens to reside.
The government and the local bodies should be vigilant while granting permission for religious places and prayer halls, the court directed.
SC raises Karnataka iron ore mining ceiling limit (Page no. 5)
(GS Paper 1, Geography)
The Supreme Court raised the ceiling limit of iron ore mining for Ballari, Chitradurga, and Tumakuru districts in Karnataka, saying conservation of the ecology and environment must go hand in hand with the spirit of economic development.
The Supreme Court raised the ceiling limit of iron ore mining from 28 MMT to 35 MMT for Ballari district, and from 7 MMT to 15 MMT for Chitradurga and Tumkur districts.
Conservation of the ecology and the environment must go hand in hand with the spirit of economic development and the fine balance between the two goals is what is sought to be achieved even now.
The Bench, also comprising Justices HimaKohli and C T Ravikumar, passed the order on pleas seeking lifting of the ceiling limits of iron ore mining in these districts.
It referred to the May 20 this year order passed by the Supreme Court which had granted certain reliefs relating to the sale and export of iron ore in these three districts in Karnataka and had left open the question of lifting or relaxation of the ceiling limit for production of iron ore there.
The Bench referred to the history of ceiling limits on the production of iron ore through Supreme Court orders and noted that on July 29, 2011, and August 26, 2011, the Supreme Court had imposed a ban on mining in these three districts based on the report of the Centrally Empowered Committee (CEC).
It said in December 2017, the Supreme Court had permitted to increase of the ceiling cap from 25 MMT to 28 MMT in Bellari district and from 5 MMT to 7 MMT for Chitradurga and Tumkur districts, based on the July 14, 2017, report of the CEC.
In 2017, this Court was of the view that the situation had vastly changed in the state of Karnataka and had therefore allowed an increase in the ceiling limit. We are now in the year 2022.
The Bench said it can be no one’s case that the situation subsisting in Karnataka currently is the same as had existed when the matter was first taken up or when the Supreme Court had passed the order in 2017, relaxing the ceiling limit to some extent.
This is also clear from the changed stance of the state of Karnataka and the CEC before this Supreme Court. In 2017, the CEC had recommended a cumulative increase in the ceiling limit up to 5 MMT, whereas now, the CEC supports the view that the ceiling limit need not continue.
HC: create awareness in schools on sexual abuse (Page no. 5)
(GS Paper 1, Social Issues)
The State government and the Central Board of Secondary Education (CBSE) should issue orders for making a prevention-oriented programme on sexual abuse a mandatory part of curriculum, ordered the Kerala High Court.
Issuing the order, Justice Bechu Kurian Thomas asked the State government and the CBSE to form an expert committee in two months to identify the mode and methodology for imparting an age-appropriate and prevention-oriented programme on sexual abuse.
Awareness of statutory provisions relating to sexual offences and allied matters should be taught at regular intervals as a measure of prevention-based orientation programme.
Continuous or repeated awareness sessions about the pernicious effects of sexual offences alone may achieve the desired objective of a drastic reduction in the commission of such crimes, noted the court while considering a bail application of an accused in the Protection of Children from Sexual Offences Act case.
The awareness of the consequences of sexual offences and their ramifications, if imparted timely in the proper manner, can pave the way to prevent the commission of such offences.
Empowering each child to prevent or report abuses and liberating each child from conservative and narrow-minded thoughts are also part of education.
The voice of the victim of sexual abuse should not be suppressed, and it is only through education that the victim can be empowered to speak out, the court felt.
The education on the punishments for sexual abuse can prevent or deter possible abusers from indulging in such heinous acts. The prevention-oriented programme on sexual abuse is a facet of the right to education contemplated under Article 21A of the Constitution.
While noting that there was an alarming rise in the number of sexual offences committed against school children requires introspection, the court noted that many a time, the perpetrators were youngsters.
Editorial
A draconian law that needs to disappear (Page no. 6)
(GS Paper 3, Internal Security)
The statement made by the Prime Minister, Narendra Modi, this year, to the people of the North-east to the effect that the Government intends withdrawing the much-dreaded Armed Forces (Special Powers) Act 1958, or AFSPA, completely from the region.
This follows its partial withdrawal from parts of Assam, Nagaland, Arunachal Pradesh and Manipur in March this year — could spell tidings for the denizens of these States.
The Prime Minister was addressing a ‘Peace, Unity and Development’ rally in Diphu in Assam’s KarbiAnglong district. In the north-east, Nagaland has largely borne the brunt of this draconian law after it was imposed in the late 1950s when insurgency raised its head in the State.
The genesis of the law can be traced to the Armed Forces (Special Powers) Ordinance 1942 which was enacted by the British to subjugate the rebels in the country during the Quit India movement, particularly in Assam and Bengal in October 1942. The law continues to be enforced in its new format as the Armed Forces (Special Powers) Act 1958.
Indubitably, the need for the law was required in the 1950s when Naga insurgents resorted to large-scale violence. Hundreds of Indian Army soldiers, central and State paramilitary personnel were either killed or injured in ambushes that had been meticulously planned and launched by the insurgents. Informers of the security forces were eliminated or disabled.
While there was some semblance of peace having been restored after the Shillong Peace Accord with the Naga insurgents in 1975, the situation took an ugly turn after the breakaway group led by IsakChishiSwu and ThuingalengMuivah formed the Nationalist Socialist Council of Nagalim (Isak-Muivah), better known as the NSCN(I-M), in January 1980, and resorted to large-scale violence across the States of Nagaland and Manipur.
ThuingalengMuivah is a Tangkhul Naga from Ukhrul district of Manipur while IsakChishiSwu was a Sumi Naga from Zunehboto in Nagaland. IsakChishiSwu died in June 2016 after the Naga Framework Agreement had been signed between the Government and the NSCN (I-M) in August 2015.
It is believed that the agreement was rushed through given IsakSwu’s health condition. The agreement has been hanging fire since then as the Government has not agreed to permit a separate flag and constitution for Nagaland which the NSCN (I-M) is determined to have.
‘Puttaswamy’ and the fading promise of a right (Page no. 6)
(GS Paper 2, Polity and Governance)
August 24 has passed, marking five years since a nine-judge Bench of the Supreme Court of India delivered a crucial judgment in the case of Justice K.S. Puttaswamy (retd.) vs Union of India.
The judgment delivered on that date formally recognised the right to privacy as being a fundamental right stemming from the right to life and personal liberty, guaranteed under Article 21 of the Indian Constitution.
The Bench also held that while the right to privacy is intrinsic to an individual’s ability to exercise bodily autonomy, it is still not an “absolute right” in and of itself, placing limitations in a manner similar to those placed on the right to free speech and expression.
Five years later, however, the once eventual-beneficiaries of the agency that the recognition of the fundamental right had promised may realise that the order delivered as part of the judgment has not been upheld in letter or in practice.
For example, one can consider the nature of the relationship that is currently shared among consumers and companies. If one looks at how the negotiation of privacy is placed now, they would realise that not much changed following the formal recognition of the right to privacy.
The Personal Data Protection Bill, 2021, which had been in the offing for quite some time now (despite how flawed it may have been) was withdrawn earlier this month after an unnecessarily long period of stagnation.
Meanwhile, the ground reality for the citizenry has not changed much either. Data security breaches which result in the loss and theft of personal, sensitive data have not reduced in terms of measurable frequency or their impact.
Even worse, as of today, any person or business within and outside India is still in a position where, for a slight bargain, they can procure the personal information for a vast majority of the people, categorised and labelled neatly wherever possible, for use and consumption.
Data concerning the scale and nature described here is used most often by some legitimate advertising agencies, unscrupulous telemarketing firms, and cyber criminals.
Brokers of such data have in fact become so brazen where they have taken to listing their goods for sale on mainstream e-commerce platforms.
This may be done in a bid to reach more customers who can discover and subsequently purchase the data they provide, but perhaps also in an attempt to lend some kind of legitimacy to the unethical and possibly illegal nature of their trade.
This status quo leaves the general populace open to a range of harm in the form of elaborate phishing attacks and financial scams aided by the attacker’s access to personal information, as well as other harmful activities which rely on the attacker possessing key bits of information about an individual.
Shadow over Soren (Page no. 6)
(GS Paper 2, Polity and Governance)
Uncertainty looms large over Hemant Soren’s continuation as Jharkhand Chief Minister as he is likely to be disqualified by the Governor as Member of the Legislative Assembly; the Governor has received the Election Commission of India’s opinion on the question.
Technically speaking, Mr. Soren could remain in the post for up to six months without being an MLA. He could also get elected in the meantime. But that technicality apart, it is a huge loss of face for him and the parties that form the ruling coalition in Jharkhand, i.e., the JMM, the Congress, and the RJD.
The case against him has its roots in a mining lease that he gave himself as a Minister for Mines in 2021. The BJP complained to the Governor on February 11, 2022, that this act was in violation of Section 9(A) of the Representation of the People Act, 1951.
The Governor referred the complaint to the Election Commission of India (ECI) for its opinion, as required by law, on March 28. On August 25, the ECI wrote to the Governor that Mr. Soren could be disqualified under Section 9(A).
The awarding of a mining lease to himself was a brazen act of self-service, misuse of office and breach of people’s trust. One cannot also not take note of the innocence of his thought that such a transparent act of corruption would go unnoticed or unpunished — reminiscent of his father Shibu Soren going to a bank and depositing the cash he had received as bribe.
Mr. Soren’s agonies may not end with disqualification. Two PILs against him are pending in the Jharkhand High Court which seek a probe into the alleged allotment of mining lease for a stone quarry in a 0.88-acre land parcel in the Angara Block of Ranchi and the alleged laundering of money via some shell companies said to be linked to his family members.
On June 3, the High Court accepted the maintainability of the PILs, holding that they did not suffer from any anomaly. In separate pleas, the High Court’s decision was challenged by the Chief Minister and the State government in the Supreme Court, which on August 17 reserved its order in the matter and stayed the High Court proceedings.
The BJP is waiting in the wings to upend the Jharkhand government, and has tasted blood. The arrest in July of three Jharkhand Congress MLAs in West Bengal with huge amounts of money they had allegedly received to defect was a smoking gun. Cornered by proceedings of disqualification as an MLA and potentially facing a corruption investigation, Mr. Soren will have diminished authority over the MLAs of the alliance.
The honourable thing for him to do in this instance of disqualification would be to resign as Chief Minister. His absence from the central seat of power in the State will be a test for the alliance and its government.
Murder in the sewer (Page no. 6)
(GS Paper 1, Social Issues)
All human lives are precious, but, in practice, some are seen as less precious than others. Despite the efforts of courts and governments, law and enforcement have been unable to keep a certain category of workers out of harm’s way: those who are engaged in sewage cleaning.
While the job itself is dangerous, as several other human pursuits are, sewage cleaning involves working with human excreta, and cannot be seen without invoking the concept of dignity of labour.
To allot the task of removing excreta and cleaning sewers to humans when machines are able to do the work is a gross violation of rights.
It is in this context that Tamil Nadu’s recent move to notify the rules of the Prohibition of Employment as Manual Scavengers and their Rehabilitation Act, 2013, though belated, must be seen.
While manual ‘scavenging’ is completely prohibited, the rules allow manual cleaning, in specific conditions where mechanical equipment cannot be deployed to fix the problem, or when it is absolutely necessary to have human intervention, after stating the valid reasons for allowing such a process to take place.
But, more importantly, it specifies a long list of protective devices and gear that any person engaged to clean a sewer or a septic tank must be provided, including airline breathing apparatus, airline respirator, air purifier gas mask, a device for artificial respiration, mask and breathing apparatus.
Besides this, chlorine masks, emergency medical oxygen resuscitator kit, gas monitor for gases, hydraulic devices, and first aid will have to be provided by the employer.
The list is not limited to those devices mentioned. Regular maintenance of the equipment and devices has also been mandated by the rules. Naturally, all workers must be fitted out in the safety gear before they enter the sewer line.
The practice of manual cleaning of septic tanks and sewers has been, and will always be, as long as it exists, a serious concern in any country sworn to humane treatment of all citizens.
While quibbling has dominated discussions about the actual number of deaths due to manual scavenging, government-acknowledged deaths from manual cleaning of sewers and septic tanks are shocking enough.
A total of 971 people lost their lives while cleaning sewers or septic tanks since 1993, the year the law prohibiting employment of manual scavengers was enacted, according to the Social Justice and Empowerment Ministry.
Tamil Nadu is among the top States in the list. Since the causes of deaths while cleaning sewers and septic tanks are predictable — noxious gases — not taking measures to prevent those deaths would be criminal.
The great Godavari floods (Page no. 6)
(GS Paper 3, Disaster Management)
In the last week of June, Kunja Sai Kumar, a farmer belonging to the Koya tribe, was jubilant as he sat with the 160 families of his community in Mukunuru village for a dinner.
The village is situated on the banks of the Sabari river, a tributary of the mighty Godavari. The Koyas sang songs of prayer for a good harvest in Mukunuru, situated in the Alluri Sitharama Raju district of Andhra Pradesh.
The men completed all the rituals mandated for bringing down the curtains on the three-day Bhumi Puja, celebrated to mark the commencement of the agriculture season in July.
Paddy, sesame, pulses and chilli are the major crops grown in Mukunuru and its surrounding areas. In summer, the farmers earn their income by selling sweet-smelling mahua flowers and nuts collected from the forest.
Their prayers went unanswered. Within a fortnight, the Koyas turned sombre as the Godavari, in all its rage, submerged their crops, fields, homes, and hopes as early as July.
They were surprised, for they were generally prepared for floods in the months of August and September every year. This time, the villagers were subjected to not one but three floods in July and the first three weeks of August, which cut them off from the mainland.
While they mourn the loss of their crop, they are equally worried about the next harvest. “How can crops now be grown on this land,” asked a distraught Sai Kumar.
Beeraboyina Ramakrishna, 50, said the Godavari floods have “wrecked their plans”. Water gushed into his thatched house and spoiled the seeds he had stored, which were to be sown on 11 acres of land. Except my bullock cart, which I had tied to a tree, everything was swept away by the floods.
On August 25, when the waters had mostly receded, thousands of tribal people, who had fled their villages, said they were waiting to return to their houses, which are still filled with mud and yellow-brown water.
Apart from Alluri Sitharama Raju, the flood waters have affected four districts in Andhra Pradesh — Eluru, Dr. B.R. Ambedkar Konaseema, West Godavari and East Godavari — affecting the lives of over two million people.
A survey of the damage caused by the floods is still in progress. “We have not been able to carry out the survey because of these repeated floods,” officials said. The Indian Navy (Eastern Naval Command, Visakhapatnam) and the National Disaster Response Force were deployed to help the government in relief and rescue efforts.
News
At least one Constitution Bench will function all year: Justice Lalit (Page no. 8)
(GS Paper 2, Judiciary)
Justice UdayUmeshLalit, who is going to take oath as the 49th Chief Justice of India on August 27, 2022, assured there will be at least one Constitution Bench functioning throughout the year in the Supreme Court.
The Chief Justice-designate promised clarity and transparency in the urgent listing of cases in the apex court.Justice Lalit said a clear-cut mechanism would be in place to allow lawyers to mention urgent matters, which includes bail petitions, etc., before the respective Benches for early listing. He said he has already discussed these issues with the Supreme Court Bar leaders.
The sweeping changes would help the judges identify, hear and provide relief in cases which need their urgent attention. It would also help litigants and lawyers to avoid delay in getting their cases listed for hearing before judges due to the long-winded processes of the Supreme Court Registry.
Mornings in the Supreme Court are witness to crowds of lawyers trying to convince judges to put up their cases for hearing. Often, many of these cases require urgent attention as they concern the right of personal liberty or property of common citizens.
Justice Lalit's initiative comes at a time when the Supreme Court's pendency has crossed over 71,000 from a little over 55,000 in 2017.
This is despite the fact that the sanctioned judicial strength of the court was increased to 34 judges in August 2019. A steady rise in arrears regardless of the periodic increase in judicial strength has been a constant phenomenon since 1950.
The outgoing Chief Justice N.V. Ramana, on his last working day, apologised for not being able to list all the pending matters. Chief Justice Ramana said the court has been firefighting pendency, which rose alarmingly during the pandemic months.
The only way out for this is to reform the functioning of the system. We need to deploy modern technological tools and Artificial Intelligence to find a lasting solution.
Even though we tried developing some modules, because of compatibility and security issues, we could not make much progress. Due to COVID emergency, the priority was running the courts.
Unfortunately, during the past 16 months of my tenure as CJI, full-fledged hearing was possible only for about 50 days.
Army speeds up procurement of light tank ‘Zorawar’ for LAC (Page no. 9)
(GS Paper 3, Defence)
With the experience of deploying armour at an altitude of 15,000 ft. to outmanoeuvre the movement of Chinese forces during the stand-off in eastern Ladakh, the Indian Army is prioritising the procurement of the indigenous Indian light tank, aptly named ‘Zorawar’, for deployment in the mountains.
In addition to inducting niche technologies like loitering munitions, anti-drone capabilities, and next generation Intelligence, Surveillance and Reconnaissance (ISR) capabilities. These are part of the overarching modernisation being undertaken of the armoured corps and mechanised infantry.
It will have equal firepower as the present tank, including missile firing. The power to weight ratio will make it very agile. The project is moving very, very well. The Acceptance of Necessity (AoN) from the Defence Acquisition Council is expected next month.
The recent experiences along the northern borders have shown that armour equipment profile is one of the most prominent factors in defining the operational capability of land forces, a source said, while noting that China has inducted a large number of state-of-the-art medium and light tanks. This increased threat on the northern borders is likely to remain a threat in the foreseeable future.
The fire power of the existing fleet of T-72, T-90 and indigenous Arjun tanks is being upgraded. “We are going for ammunition with greater depth of penetration,” one source said, adding that the Defence Research and Development Organisation (DRDO) had recently demonstrated this in its user trials, and the user trials with the Army are expected soon.
At the height of the ongoing stand-off in eastern Ladakh, following the confrontation on the Kailash range on the south bank of Pangong Tso in August 2020, India and China had deployed tanks on the mountain peaks, which were subsequently pulled back as part of the disengagement from both banks of the lake.
Zorawaris designed to operate in varying terrain from high altitude areas and marginal terrains to island territories. It will be highly transportable for rapid deployment to meet any operational situation, and feature niche technologies, including Artificial Intelligence (AI), drone integration, active protection systems, and a high degree of situational awareness, officials said.
Achieving 2070 net-zero target could boost India’s GDP: report (Page no. 9)
(GS Paper 3, Environment)
Achieving net zero carbon emissions by 2070, a target that Prime Minister Narendra Modi committed to in Glasgow in 2021, could boost India’s economy by as much as 4.7% above the projected baseline growth in GDP terms by 2036, worth a total of $371 billion.
It could also create as many as 15 million new jobs by 2047, said the report commissioned by the High-level Policy Commission on Getting Asia to Net Zero.
The Getting India to Net Zero report, as it is called, contains new research and modelling and finds that policies to initiate the clean energy transition will be crucial in determining when India achieves net zero emissions and how much it could benefit from it. Positive economic impacts are driven in part by an improved trade balance of $236 billion due to reduced demand for fossil fuels.
Beyond this, maximising viable policy options to decarbonise its energy system and economy could lead India to net zero emissions by mid-century.
Ending new coal as soon as possible by 2023 and transitioning from unabated coal power by 2040 would be particularly impactful to get India to net zero emissions sooner.
By reaching net zero by 2050, India could boost annual GDP by as much as 7.3% ($470 billion) and create nearly 20 million additional jobs by 2032, compared with the current policies, the report finds.
Former Australian Prime Minister Kevin Rudd, who is Asia Society’s global president and the convener of the High-level Policy Commission on Getting Asia to Net Zero.
India’s net zero ambitions are not just important for the global fight against climate change – they can also be a boon for the country’s own sustainable and inclusive development.
If approached with comprehensive, holistic planning, in a way that attracts additional investment and ensures a just transition for those most reliant on fossil fuels, India’s path to net zero can create new jobs, secure livelihoods and improve health.
Net zero emissions by 2070 would require an economy-wide investment of $10.1 trillion from now; 2050 calls for $13.5 trillion, the research finds.
Additional finance would free up existing resources to tackle negative impacts of climate policies such as carbon taxes, and to help reskill and upskill workers.
Centre picks 75 tribal districts for TB intervention project (Page no. 10)
(GS Paper 2, Health)
After having run an active case-finding campaign to detect instances of Tuberculosis (TB) among tribal populations over the past six months, the Ministry of Tribal Affairs and the Central TB Division of the Ministry of Health and Family Welfare have now zeroed in on 75 tribal districts, where focused interventions will be run over the next few months with the aim to make them TB-free.
The campaign to detect TB cases across 174 tribal districts started this January under the Aashwasan Campaign, under which door-to-door screening was done in over 68,000 villages.
Official data showed that 3,82,811 people were identified for presumptive TB after a verbal screening of over 1.03 crore people in these villages.
Of these, over 2.79 lakh people’s samples were tested for TB, among which, 9,971 people tested positive and were placed under treatment as per government protocol.
At a conclave held earlier this week to discuss the findings from the campaign, Tribal Affairs Ministry Joint Secretary Naval Jit Kapoor said the data clearly indicated that tribal populations are more vulnerable to TB and other respiratory diseases compared to other population groups.
Discussing the way forward at the conclave held on August 24, both the Health and Tribal Affairs ministries have decided on a three-pronged strategy to address the high incidence of TB in the selected 75 tribal districts, keeping with the Union government’s mission to make India TB-free by 2025.
The districts selected are among those with a higher proportion of tribal populations, those that have not yet performed well in curbing TB, and those that reported relatively higher TB cases during the case-detection campaign.
This includes generating demand for TB services by engaging with community influencers like tribal leaders, tribal healers, Panchayati Raj Institution members, Self-Help Groups and youth in the tribal areas, who are expected to help increase awareness on TB, its symptoms, spread and treatment processes and address the stigma and fear associated with the disease.
These community influencers were identified during the 100-day Aashwasan Campaign and helped in case detection as well.
Vishnugadh project likely to face inquiry (Page no. 10)
(GS Paper 3, Infrastructure Development)
An independent panel of the World Bank is considering a plea by residents of Haat village, Chamoli district, Uttarakhand to investigate environmental damage from the under-construction VishnugadPipalkoti Hydro Electric Project (VPHEP) in the district.
The 444-MW VPHEP is being built by the Tehri Hydropower Development Corporation (THDC), a partially State-owned enterprise.
The project is primarily funded by the World Bank and was sanctioned in 2011. It is proposed to be completed in June 2023. About 40% of the funds for the $792 million project (₹64,000 crore approx.) had already been disbursed.
Residents in their complaint to the bank panel have said muck dumping from the dam threatens the local Lakshmi Narayan Temple, which is deemed to be of historical and cultural importance by the Archaeological Survey of India (ASI).
The historical significance of the temple wasn’t known until the ASI investigated and submitted its report this year, said MallikaBhanot, an environmentalist based in Uttarakhand.
The complainants, whose identities aren’t public, but comprise 83 community members of the village, said that other than ecological damage the project had caused forced resettlement, loss of livelihoods and, in several instances, the amount of compensation offered was inadequate.
Last September, community members who refused to take compensation and relocate voluntarily were evicted, and some were “locked up in the police station”.
They also complained about the limited availability of water saying that 70 of the 92 households received water only for two hours daily and that 12 received water for two to five hours daily, while before the project construction, they had ready access to water.
This is the third such complaint to the bank panel by villagers with neither of them having triggered an investigation by the panel. Before deciding on whether such an investigation is required, the panel had written to the bank management asking for a response to the issues raised by the villagers.
CBI records conviction rate of 67.56% in 2021 (Page no. 10)
(GS Paper 3, Internal Security)
The Central Bureau of Investigation (CBI) recorded a conviction rate of 67.56% in 2021, compared to 69.83% in 2020, according to the Central Vigilance Commission (CVC) annual report.
The CBI registered 680 regular cases and 67 preliminary enquiries last year, while it had registered 589 regular cases and 87 preliminary enquiries in 2020.
Last year, court judgments were received in 360 cases, which included 202 convictions, 82 acquittals and 15 of discharge from allegations. In 61 matters, cases were disposed of on other reasons. At the end of the year, a total of 10,232 cases were pending in various courts.
In 2021, investigations were pending in 982 cases, whereas the figure stood at 1,117 the previous year. The probe was finalised in 798 regular cases and 86 preliminary inquiries last year.
Of the total cases instituted last year, 457 pertained to various charges under the Prevention of Corruption Act. They involved 549 public servants, of whom 221 were gazetted officers.
According to the report, 102 cases were registered for demand of bribe by public servants for showing favour and 40 for possession of disproportionate assets. Of the 747 cases — which include preliminary enquiries, — 133 were taken up on court directions and 37 on references from State governments and Union Territories.
The CBI reported that in 2021-end, 177 cases were pending for grant of sanction for prosecution under the Prevention of Corruption Act.
The Commission, during monthly meetings with the CBI, takes note of the large number of cases pending trial in different courts for long periods. As on December 31 last year, as many as 6,697 cases were pending trial, of which 275 cases are more than 20-year-old.
The CVC said there were 1,341 outstanding departmental inquiries as on December 31, 2020, which reduced to 921 as on December 31, 2021.
“There were 940 cases pending with DA [Disciplinary Authority] for implementation of the Commission’s first and second stage advice as on December 31, 2020, which has been brought down to 435 pending cases as on December 31, 2021.
Besides this, prosecution sanction was awarded to 248 officers with as many as 2,476 punishments awarded during the year. The Commission had as many as 26,403 complaints, out of which 25,326 complaints were disposed of with a 96% disposal rate,” said the report.
Practo told to make its app disabled friendly (Page no. 10)
(GS Paper 2, Social Justice)
The court of the Chief Commissioner for Persons with Disabilities (CCPD) on Wednesday ordered Practo, the online healthcare service provider, to make its website and app fully accessible for the disabled, affirming that legal requirements and guidelines on accessibility applied to private companies.
This court recommends that Respondent No. 1, i.e. Practo Technologies Pvt. Ltd. shall comply with the government guidelines and shall make necessary modifications within 6 months and not later than 9 months from receiving the copy of this Recommendation-Order, to its app and other Information & Communication Technology platforms to make such platforms accessible for divyangjan (sic).
The CCPD was hearing a complaint filed by a lawyer with 100% visual impairment, Rahul Bajaj, on March 22 regarding the website and app being inaccessible and not in compliance with accessibility standards.
The complainant said the home screen of the app was unorganised and inaccessible with screen reading software, some buttons were not labelled and others had “nonsensical labels” like “tertiary half one image label”, the order stated. Mr. Bajaj also said Practo was not in compliance with Section 46 of the Rights of Persons with Disabilities (PwD) Act, 2016, which sets a two-year timeline for service providers “whether government or private” to provide services in accordance with Central government accessibility rules.
Practo filed a reply on June 14 denying the allegations, but expressing willingness to make its platform accessible for PwD, according to the order.
During the hearing in the case on July 19, Practo asked for nine months to make the changes as it involved “severe engineering efforts”. Practo, through its lawyers, argued that it was not bound by the guidelines that require establishments to provide accessible services.
Business
Digital lending rules said to spark disruption (Page no. 12)
(GS Paper 3, Economy)
India's stricter digital lending rules have disrupted card services of foreign-backed fintech firms and jeopardised loan offerings of Amazon, prompting companies to chart a lobbying pushback, according to industry sources and a document seen by Reuters.
Citing concerns over high rates and unfair practices, the Reserve Bank of India (RBI) this month said a loan borrower must deal directly with a bank, dealing a blow to prepaid card providers and shopping websites which act as intermediaries and instantly process deferred loan payments.
India's digital lending market has grown quickly and facilitated $2.2 billion in digital loans in 2021-22, with start-ups attracting foreign backers and giving traditional banks a run for their money in the credit business.
The new rules have already hit prepaid card offerings of Tiger Global-backed Slice and Accel-backed start-up Uni, which have partnered with banks and allowed users to split purchases into interest-free easy repayments, a feature not available with typical credit cards.
Solving "time-sensitive money crunches" made Uni popular: its cards were swiped for $67 million on average monthly, much more than credit card usage of some smaller private and public banks in India.
The RBI has said the new rules were to be implemented immediately, but added that "detailed instructions will be issued separately."
Still, Uni suspended its card services this week due to the RBI rules, hitting hundreds of thousands of users, while Slice has put new card issuance on hold.
Worries are also rising that the rules will throttle plans of bigger players Amazon.com Inc. and Walmart's Flipkart to expand their popular buy-now-pay-later schemes that have tapped millions of users, three industry sources said.
That's because currently Amazon and Flipkart facilitate loans for their shoppers. The bank pays the online merchant, while the borrower later makes loan payments to the lender. The new RBI rules, sources say, could impact this route if online merchants can't receive payments directly.
"It is likely that seamlessness of availing credit by the customer will be severely impacted," the Internet and Mobile Association of India, a top industry group representing Amazon and Flipkart, said in a draft internal lobbying document crafted in collaboration with consulting group PwC.
The group plans to push the RBI to carve out direct merchant payments as an exception under the new rules.
Flipkart has been bullish on the buy-now-pay-later business, saying in May it doubled its user base for the service to more than 6 million in seven months.