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Almost a third of app-based cab drivers work for over 14 hours a day, while more than 83% work more than 10 hours and 60% work over 12 hours, according to a study of more than 10,000 Indian cab drivers, gig and platform workers.
It noted that social disparities make the situation worse, with over 60% of the drivers from the Scheduled Castes and the Scheduled Tribes working for over 14 hours a day, while only 16% from the unreserved category work such long hours.
The study was conducted by the People’s Association in Grassroots Action and Movements, and the Indian Federation of App-based Transport Workers, with technical support from the University of Pennsylvania and Friedrich-Ebert-Stiftung India, a German foundation.
India signs free trade agreement with 4 European countries (Page no. 1)
(GS Paper 2, International Organisation)
India signed a free trade agreement (FTA) with four European countries — Iceland, Liechtenstein, Norway, and Switzerland — on Sunday, with a goal of reaching $100 billion in investments in India and one million jobs within 15 years.
The Trade and Economic Partnership Agreement (TEPA) marks the second such full-fledged FTA signed after India’s agreement with the United Arab Emirates, and will see considerable tariff reduction, increase in market access, and simplification of customs procedures.
The EFTA (European Free Trade Association) countries, which are separate from the European Union, said that for the first time, the FTA also included a chapter on commitments to human rights and sustainable development.
The agreement will come into force after ratification by the EFTA states, expected possibly by the end of the year.
Editorial
Electoral bonds, the State Bank and the art of evasion (Page no. 8)
(GS Paper 2, Judiciary)
In a landmark judgment on February 15, 2024, a five-judge Bench of the Supreme Court of India declared the electoral bond scheme unconstitutional.
This was a scheme which opened the floodgates of unlimited anonymous funding of political parties and consolidated the role of big money in the Indian political system.
To give “logical and complete effect” to its ruling, the top court put a stop to the issuance of electoral bonds, and gave the State Bank of India, or the SBI (the bank that was authorised to issue and encash the bonds), 21 days to disclose two sets of information to the Election Commission of India (ECI) to put up on its website.
The first was details of the electoral bonds purchased since April 12, 2019, which would “include the date of purchase of each Electoral Bond, the name of the purchaser of the bond and the denomination of the Electoral Bond purchased”.
The second was on details of electoral bonds redeemed by political parties for the same time frame. The Court ruled: “SBI must disclose details of each Electoral Bond encashed by political parties which shall include the date of encashment and the denomination of the Electoral Bond”.
Opinion
We need limits on election campaign spending (Page no. 9)
(GS Paper 2, Polity and Constituion)
During the run up to the general elections to Lok Sabha of 2004, the Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP)-led government put out advertisements with the tag line ‘India Shining.’
The campaign led to a controversy over the use of public money. Reports state that an estimated ₹150 crore was spent for this campaign, arguably one of the biggest government-sponsored advertisement campaigns until then.
Over the past two decades, this trend has caught up with both Central and State governments spending a lot on advertisements before elections to the Lok Sabha and State Legislative Assemblies.
In a democratic country, it is essential for a government to spread awareness about its schemes and policies. In the first few decades in independent India, this was primarily done through public meetings.
In the last three decades, awareness has been spread through advertisements on print and electronic media, which have a wide reach.
However, at present, government advertisements published or broadcast before elections tend to be campaigns of the ruling party and establish personality cults.
According to the Information and Broadcasting Ministry, the Central government had spent ₹3,020 crore on advertisements between 2018-19 and 2022-23. It must be noted that the amount spent was significantly higher at ₹1,179 crore during the election year of 2018-19 as against ₹408 crore in 2022-23.
This expenditure is likely to rise in 2023-24 as the general elections are due in April-May. The Supreme Court through its orders in May 2015 and March 2016 laid down guidelines for the regulation of government advertisements.
Even then, ruling governments have an advantage before elections when it comes to publishing advertisements that disturb the level playing field.
A possible solution for Bengaluru’s water crisis (Page no. 9)
(GS Paper 2, Polity and Constituion)
As Bengaluru grows further outwards and faster than it can cope, water supply is one of the first casualties. Attempting to piece together the puzzle – where Bengaluru’s water comes from, where it is stored, who consumes it, where the wastewater goes – is an essential first step to reduce the city’s vulnerability to floods and drought. We zoom into four different aspects to do this.
The city’s population increased from 8.7 million in 2011 to about 12.6 million in 2021 (projected). Most of the growth has been in the periphery (Maps 1 and 2).
We estimate that the total demand for freshwater is approximately 2,632 million litres per day (MLD), which is higher than what is officially supplied through the Cauvery and through groundwater sources.
Water from Cauvery that is used for the city’s needs has increased from 940 MLD to 1,460 MLD in the same period which, after subtracting losses, only serves half the demand.
In addition, Bengaluru consumes an estimated 1,392 MLD of groundwater. This is worrying because groundwater recharge rates remain significantly lower than extraction rates.
Text & Context
Introducing a new toll collection system (Page no. 10)
(GS Paper 3, Economy)
Road Transport and Highways Minister Nitin Gadkari said in Parliament in February that the government plans to implement a new highway toll collection system based on the global navigation satellite system before the model code of conduct for the 2024 election kicks in.
The global navigation satellite system is a term used to refer to any satellite-based navigation system, including the United States’ Global Positioning System (GPS).
It uses a large constellation of satellites to provide more accurate location and navigation information to users globally as compared to the GPS alone.
News
U.P. has 28.4% of ‘zero-food children’ in India, says study (Page no. 14)
(GS Paper 2, Social Justice)
Sunita Gautam, a 26-year-old domestic help, wonders if she will be able to provide her 11-month-old boy the nutrition he requires. “My child is mainly dependent on breastmilk.
At times, I give him porridge, but that too not every day as he takes time to eat and is more habituated to breastmilk. I have a very busy daily routine. If I don’t earn money, how can I provide a better life for my child?” Ms. Gautam, who works in Lucknow’s Vishal Khand area, asked.
Ms. Gautam’s baby is likely to be one of the millions of “zero-food children” aged six months to 23 months in Uttar Pradesh. These infants have not eaten any food of substantial calorific content — semi-solid, solid,soft, or mushy food, infant formula or fresh milk — for 24 hours.
A study published recently in the peer-reviewed JAMA Network Open journal found the prevalence of zero-food children in India at 19.3%, drawing attention to extreme food deprivation among children.
The study ranks India as having the third-highest percentage of zero-food children, above only Guinea (21.8%) and Mali (20.5%). In terms of numbers, India has the highest number of zero-food children at more than six million.
7,396 golden langurs in India, reveals survey (Page no. 14)
(GS Paper 3, Environment)
There are an estimated 7,396 golden langurs in India, the latest survey of the primate has revealed. The comprehensive population estimation of the endangered primate was carried out in two phases by the Primate Research Centre NE India (PRCNE), Assam Forest Department, Bodoland Territorial Council, Salim Ali Centre for Ornithology and Natural History (SACON), and Conservation Himalayas.
The entire distribution range of the golden langur (Trachypithecus geei) covers the Manas Biosphere Reserve and all fragmented forests in the western part of Assam.
In the first phase during March-April 2020, the survey covered the western part of the Manas Biosphere Reserve, including Ripu Reserved Forest — a major part of it was recently upgraded to Raimona National Park – Chirang Reserve Forest, Manas Reserve Forest, and Manas National Park up to the western bank of the Manas River.
World
Zardari sworn in as Pakistan President for a second time (Page no. 15)
(GS Paper 2, International Relation)
Asif Ali Zardari took oath as Pakistan’s 14th President, a day after the veteran politician staged a remarkable comeback when he was overwhelmingly elected as the only civilian President of the coup-prone country for a second time.
Chief Justice of Pakistan Qazi Faez Isa administered the oath to the 68-year-old Mr. Zardari in a small yet formal ceremony at Aiwan-e-Sadr, the Presidential Palace.
Mr. Zardari replaces Dr. Arif Alvi, who stayed in office for five months after completing his five-year term in September 2023.
The swearing-in ceremony was attended by Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif and Chief of Army Staff General Asim Munir among others.
Separately, a meeting chaired by the Pakistan Muslim League-Nawaz (PML-N) supremo Nawaz Sharif and attended by Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif besides other leaders decided that the Pakistan People’s Party (PPP) should be approached again with the request to join the federal Cabinet.