SECURE SYNOPSIS: 17 AUGUST 2019
NOTE: Please remember that following ‘answers’ are NOT ‘model answers’. They are NOT synopsis too if we go by definition of the term. What we are providing is content that both meets demand of the question and at the same time gives you extra points in the form of background information.
Topic: population and associated issues
Why this question:
The prime minister, in his Independence Day speech, flagged “population explosion” as a problem and talked of the need to counter it. It is surprising that the government has missed the message on the declining trend in fertility in the country and is gearing up to fight yesterday’s problem.
Key demand of the question:
The answer must evaluate the current population level dynamics.
Directive:
Critically analyze – When asked to analyse, you have to examine methodically the structure or nature of the topic by separating it into component parts and present them as a whole in a summary. When ‘critically’ is suffixed or prefixed to a directive, one needs to look at the good and bad of the topic and give a fair judgement.
Structure of the answer:
Introduction:
Present the situation of population in the country.
Body:
The proponents of population regulation raise the bogey of the absolute population level already being too high and the resulting resources-demand gap fueling social misery and instability. But this deliberately ignores or underplays the fact that the rates of both absolute population growth and total fertility have been declining steadily, and negate the need for population regulation measures.
Explain the causes and consequences of the declining trend and what kind of change in population policy is desired.
Conclusion:
Conclude with way forward.
Introduction:
The government’s Sample Registration System in 22 states shows that TFR for India declined to 2.2 in 2017 after being stable at 2.3 between 2013 and 2016. Further, the country’s annual population growth rate fell from 2.5% in 1971-81—a time when ‘population explosion’ was bandied around commonly, and when India infamously experimented with forced sterilisation—to 1.3% in 2011-16.
Body:
Population control measures are no longer needed:
- The TFR in the country is down from 5.52 in 1971.
- The TFR is expected to reach 1.8 in 2021 – similar to the current rate in France – and stabilise at 1.7, the stage where China, which is heading for a population decline, is now.
- As per the Sample Registration System (SRS) that provides the most dynamic data on fertility rates, even the states that have a higher fertility rate—Bihar (3.2), Uttar Pradesh (3), Madhya Pradesh (2.7), Rajasthan (2.6), Jharkhand (2.5), Chhattisgarh (2.4) and Assam (2.3)—than the national TFR have shown precipitous decline in fertility rates.
- 13 of the 22 major states TFR is below 2.1, meaning that these states, including those in the south, Himachal Pradesh, Punjab, West Bengal and Maharashtra are already quite advanced in their demographic transition, mirroring trends in countries with much higher levels of income.
- Just a decade ago, for instance, Bihar had a TFR of 4 and UP of 4.1 while MP, Jharkhand and Rajasthan had a TFR of 3.5 each.
- States already below replacement level fertility will see a further decline to decline to 1.5-1.6. The survey estimates that the large poorer states of central India, like Uttar Pradesh, Rajasthan, Jharkhand and Madhya Pradesh are likely to reach TFR levels below 1.8 between 2021 and 2031.
- Some states like Tamil Nadu could witness population declines after 2031 unless there is migration from other states.
- With such trends likely to continue, as demographers predict, the population burden on India’s resources will only ease in the coming decades.
- Given the improving levels of education, especially amongst women, and access to contraception, late marriage, financial independence of women, etc, fertility rates are coming down sharply.
- Local culture also plays a strong factor.
- As educational attainment levels go up, and more women push marriage for later, TFR will come down further, even child-bearing shifts to the older age-brackets.
- The solution to achieving population stability rests on increasing access for women to education and jobs.
Population control measures are necessary because:
- Population experts have said that while India’s large population presents challenges in providing food, housing, jobs and other essentials, the country has entered a demographic stage when a plateauing of population and a subsequent decline in numbers is just decades away.
- India currently adds around 10 million people annually to the working age population; this increase is likely to decline to 4.2 million in 2031-41.
- It is indeed a fact that population of India is growing and will continue to grow for the next couple of decades. This is because, as compared to the past, there are a higher proportion of people in the marriageable age group who will produce children, and people are now living longer.
- In India, the global demand for water in 2050 is projected to be more than 50 per cent of what it was in 2000.
- The demand for food will double in the year 2050 and even if India manages to feed its expanding population, its growth may not be ecologically sustainable.
- Women empowerment as people will not favour for sons because of cap of 2 child policy
- Though China’s one-child policy has been criticized as against human dignity and rights, it has improved and controlled the nation’s population by a possible 400 million people as per the report of East India Forum.
- If Population control won’t happen, there will be no resources left, and the growing population’s demand will increase to the next level, resulting in increasing death rates increasing in the country.
Conclusion:
As per National Family Health Survey data, the country-level TFR in India is 2.23, which is not hugely above the desired level of 2.1. Twenty states/UTs have achieved the replacement-level TFR, another five have got it below 2.2, with the remaining 11 states (including Bihar, UP, MP, Rajasthan, Jharkhand and Chhattisgarh) having a higher rate. Thus, the need of the hour is better education and awareness rather than an iron hand policy to control the population. Government should improve the implementation of poverty alleviation measures which can also help control population.
Topic: Government policies and interventions for development in various sectors and issues arising out of their design and implementation.
Why this question:
The Lok Sabha recently passed an amendment bill that allows a Supreme Court judge besides the Chief Justice of India to be appointed the chairperson of National Human Rights Commission of India (NHRC) and increases the number of members from two to three.
Key demand of the question:
The answer must justify in what way the new amendments curb the independence of NHRC.
Directive:
Critically– When asked to analyse, you have to examine methodically the structure or nature of the topic by separating it into component parts and present them as a whole in a summary. When asked to ‘Examine’, we have to look into the topic (content words) in detail, inspect it, investigate it and establish the key facts and issues related to the topic in question. While doing so we should explain why these facts and issues are important and their implications.
Structure of the answer:
Introduction:
State the changes brought in by the new bill.
Body:
The bill provides that a person who has been Chief Justice or Judge of a High Court will be the chairperson of a State Human Rights Commission.
It seeks to reduce the term of office of chairperson and members of the NHRC and SHRC to three years from five years or till the age of seventy years, whichever is earlier.
Discuss the different amendments made and the possible consequences of the same.
Conclusion:
Conclude with way forward.
Introduction:
The Protection of Human Rights (Amendment) Bill 2019 passed in Lok Sabha. The bill aims to accelerate the process of appointment of chairperson and members of the National Human Rights Commission (NHRC). It amends the Protection of Human Rights Act,1993 and intends to make the National Human Rights Commission (NHRC) more inclusive and efficient.
Body:
Salient Features of the Bill:
- The Bill amends the Protection of Human Rights Act, 1993. The Act provides for a National Human Rights Commission (NHRC), State Human Rights Commissions (SHRC), as well as Human Rights Courts.
- Composition of NHRC: Under the Act, the chairperson of the NHRC is a person who has been a Chief Justice of the Supreme Court. The Bill amends this to provide that a person who has been Chief Justice of the Supreme Court, or a Judge of the Supreme Court will be the chairperson of the NHRC. In case of SHRC, the Bill amends this to provide that a person who has been Chief Justice or Judge of a High Court will be chairperson of a SHRC.
- Inclusion of woman member: The Act provides for two persons having knowledge of human rights to be appointed as members of the NHRC. The Bill amends this to allow three members to be appointed, of which at least one will be a woman.
- Other members: Under the Act, chairpersons of various commissions such as the National Commission for Scheduled Castes, National Commission for Scheduled Tribes, and National Commission for Women are members of the NHRC. The Bill provides for including the chairpersons of the National Commission for Backward Classes, the National Commission for the Protection of Child Rights, and the Chief Commissioner for Persons with Disabilities as members of the NHRC.
- Term of office: The Act states that the chairperson and members of the NHRC and SHRC will hold office for five years or till the age of seventy years, whichever is earlier. The Bill reduces the term of office to three years or till the age of seventy years, whichever is earlier. Further, the Act allows for the reappointment of members of the NHRC and SHRCs for a period of five years. The Bill removes the five-year limit for reappointment.
- Powers of Secretary-General: The Act provides for a Secretary-General of the NHRC and a Secretary of a SHRC, who exercise powers as may be delegated to them. The Bill amends this and allows the Secretary-General and Secretary to exercise all administrative and financial powers (except judicial functions), subject to the respective chairperson’s control.
- Union Territories: The Bill provides that the central government may confer on a SHRC human rights functions being discharged by Union Territories. Functions relating to human rights in the case of Delhi will be dealt with by the NHRC.
Pros of the bill:
- The Amendment will strengthen the Human Rights Institutions of India further for effective discharge of their mandates, roles and responsibilities.
- Moreover, the amended Act will be in perfect sync with the agreed global standards and benchmarks towards ensuring the rights relating to life, liberty, equality and dignity of the individual in the country.
- The amendment will also make National Human Rights Commission (NHRC) and State Human Rights Commission (SHRC) more compliant with the Paris Principle concerning its autonomy, independence, pluralism and wide-ranging functions in order to effectively protect and promote human rights.
- Representation of all walks of members of society. The Bill incorporates every section of society, which will be beneficial in taking appropriate decision making.
- The amendment will ensure transparency in the appointment of chairman and members of the commission and will help fill all the vacancies with the wider ambit of knowledgeable person
Shortcomings of the bill:
- The government will now have a free choice for the NHRC chairperson as the amendments removes the qualification for chairperson. It will not be limited to former chief justices of the Supreme court but it can now choose any of the Supreme Court’s retired judges. This could lead to conflicts of interest.
- The proposed amendment provides for a reduction in the tenure of Chairpersons of the National and State Human Rights Commissions to three years from the present five years.
- The proposed amendments could lead to a pick-and-choose system in the human rights bodies. In case a Chief Justice is available, will he be overlooked in favour of a hand-picked judge.
- There have been no changes in the executive powers of the NHRC, it still remains a recommendatory body.
- There is no inclusion of human rights specialists in the NHRC members.
Way forward:
- The efficacy of commissions will be greatly enhanced if their decisions are made enforceable by the government.
- It is also important to give this body a separate investigating branch so that they would have not to fall upon any other agency for their work.
- Misuse of laws by the law enforcing agencies is often the root cause of human right violations.
- So, the weakness of laws should be removed and those laws should be amended or repealed if they run contrary to human rights.
Topic: Bilateral, regional and global groupings and agreements involving India and/or affecting India’s interests
Why this question:
The article suggests With WTO’s dispute settlement process set to fall apart due to appellate body vacancies remaining unfilled, a parallel arbitration procedure is a must.
Demand of the question:
The answer must evaluate the need and necessity for arbitration procedure as a parallel to WTO’s dispute settlement body.
Directive word:
Critically analyze – When asked to analyse, you have to examine methodically the structure or nature of the topic by separating it into component parts and present them as a whole in a summary. When ‘critically’ is suffixed or prefixed to a directive, one needs to look at the good and bad of the topic and give a fair judgement.
Structure of the answer:
Introduction
Provide for a brief background of the current situation at the WTO.
Body
Explain what are the present conditions at the WTO’s dispute settlement body, discuss the need for a parallel arbitration mechanism.
The EU and Canada have jointly indicated their intention to resort to arbitration under Article 25 of the Dispute Settlement Understanding (DSU), and set up an interim arbitration procedure. This procedure will be followed in disputes involving the two WTO members if the AB is unable to hear appeals due to an insufficient number of members.
Discuss the implications of such a step.
Conclusion
Conclude with way ahead.
Introduction:
Resolving trade disputes has been one of the core functions of the WTO. When countries cannot resolve matters with their trading partners, they show up at the door of the WTO. The Appellate Body (AB), one of the highest adjudicating bodies of the international trade world, hears disputes brought by WTO members. After more than two decades, this mechanism is now under duress.
Body:
Track-record of Appellate body:
- More than 500 disputes have been filed at the WTO by countries since 1995.
- The AB has adjudicated on complex and diverse issues including on environmental protection, renewable energy subsidies, tax evasion, money laundering, patent protection, animal welfare and food safety, among many others.
- The dispute settlement system has increasingly become the raison d’être of the WTO itself, experts say.
Context of the issue:
WTO is facing existential crisis during a time when developed economies have adopted protectionist attitude. The U.S. has systematically blocked the appointment of new Appellate Body members (“judges”) and de facto impeded the work of the WTO appeal mechanism. The strength of the AB has already been reduced to three. The matter will come to a head on December 11, 2019, when two more members retire and the requirement of a quorum of three members can no longer be met. The AB will not be functional any more.
Issues faced by the WTO:
- Politicisation of the Appellate Body appointment and reappointment process:
- The quasi-attribution of permanent Appellate Body seats to the U.S. and the European Union (EU).
- There is a trade war between US and China despite both being a member of WTO. This negates the core non-discriminatory principle of WTO.
- US and China have imposed counter-productive duties, accusing each other of harming their domestic interests. WTO has not been able to prevent the trade wars despite best efforts and has been labelled as a talk shop.
- There is concern that China may be on its way to having a permanent seat.
- The “Overreaching” or judicial activism of United States:
- USA has systematically blocked the filling of vacancies for ‘judges’ to the seven-member AB, it has acutely affected the functioning of the body, even as disputes continue to pile up.
- The US is linking the broader reform of the dispute settlement process with the filling of vacancies for the members to the AB. This impacts the dispute settlement mechanism as a whole.
- The US here tried to separate trade from development and objected to mention centrality for development at the preparation of the declaration.
- The US stand will adversely affect the development interest of the developing world.
- At the Buenos Aires, the developed countries led by the US and the European Union formed groups on e-commerce, investment facilitation and MSMEs within the WTO with more than 70 members in each group.
- The WTO dispute settlement mechanism is not a world trade court. The process remains political and diplomatic. In trade wars, the objective is not to settle a dispute; it is to win the battle.
- The very existence of an appeal mechanism is now paradoxically questioned at a time the global community criticises the absence of the same mechanism in Investor-State Dispute Settlement.
China’s prospects:
- Beijing might well be the new WTO leader and China’s growing assertiveness may be the reason for the U.S.’s hard posturing.
- China is trying to establish herself by its assertiveness in rule-based WTO system.
- In less than a decade since its first dispute, China has accumulated a vast experience close to that of the U.S. or Europe.
- This strategic and selective normative acculturation has been an empowering one — so much so that Beijing, together with a few others, the EU, and to some extent India, is now the main supporter of multilateralism.
- China, EU, and to some extent India, and a few others, is now the main supporter of multilateralism.
- The recent EU-China proposal to promote the reform of the WTO is said to combat “unilateralism and protectionism” but might well fail to address unfair trade issues raised against China itself.
Way Forward:
- WTO needs to strengthen the dispute settlement mechanism as there are issues in appointment of judges in new appellate body.
- WTO needs to enhance discussion mechanism by introducing wider consultations. It has been a long-standing complaint by the smaller participants that the consultations or decision making is limited to the green room of DG of WTO.
- The need of free trade is required more by developing countries like India than developed countries.
- There is need for the structural reform in the WTO functioning as multilateral trading system. Despite WTO being a democratic organization, there is a need to make it more effective in protecting the interests of small nations against stronger countries.
- The process of retaliation is ineffective and too impractical for smaller players.
- So, developing countries must work collaboratively to strengthen WTO to collaborate effectively and learn from the past experiences when India and China led the developing countries in environmental forums, garnering funds in the form of GCF.
Conclusion:
The world has changed and multilateral institutions now have to embed these changes. This WTO crisis might well be the final battle to retain control over a Western-centric organisation. The time has come for the emerging economies and the developing world to have a greater say in how to shape multilateralism and its institutions.
Topic: Conservation, Government policies and interventions for development in various sectors and issues arising out of their design and implementation.
Why this question:
On August 15, during the first Independence Day speech of his second tenure, Prime Minister Narendra Modi announced the Jal Jeevan Mission, which plans to supply water to all households by 2024.
Key demand of the question:
Directive:
Analyze – When asked to analyse, you have to examine methodically the structure or nature of the topic by separating it into component parts and present them as a whole in a summary.
Structure of the answer:
Introduction:
Brief on the concept of Jal Jeevan Mission.
Body:
Discuss the key features of the Jal Jeevan Mission
Mission Objective: To ensure Har Ghar Jal (piped water supply) to all rural households by 2024 under the Jal Jeevan Mission.
Executing agency: Department of Drinking Water and Sanitation under the Jal Shakti Mantralaya.
Strategy: This Mission will focus on integrated demand and supply side management of water at the local level, including creation of local infrastructure for source sustainability like rainwater harvesting, groundwater recharge and management of household wastewater for reuse in agriculture.
The Mission will converge with other Central and State Government Schemes to achieve its objectives of sustainable water supply management across the country.
Conclusion:
Conclude with in what way Jal Jeevan Mission will be a major step towards improving ease of living and meeting aspirations of a New India.
Introduction:
The Prime Minister in the Independence Day speech announced the Jal Jeevan Mission, which plans to supply water to all households by 2024. It will be a decentralised, community-managed and sustainable water management scheme.
Body:
Objectives:
- This Mission will focus on integrated demand and supply side management of water at the local level, including creation of local infrastructure for source sustainability like rainwater harvesting, groundwater recharge and management of household wastewater for reuse in agriculture.
- The Mission will converge with other Central and State Government Schemes to achieve its objectives of sustainable water supply management across the country.
Current Scenario of water supply in rural areas:
- For many years, the central and state governments have been making efforts to increase access to safe and adequate drinking water.
- The provision of a basic quantity of drinking water in rural India has been achieved through hand pumps, dug wells, household water supply (HWS), etc.
- Thus, while states like Sikkim managed to achieve high levels of HWS, a relatively low percentage of rural Indian households have access to this.
Challenges faced:
- In rural drinking water service delivery, there is inadequate attention given to taking measures to sustain the source of the water, in most cases groundwater is a challenge.
- This proposed mission will make source sustainability measures mandatory prior to pumping and distributing water to households.
- Another issue with the traditional approach to service delivery was that the provision of drinking water was viewed primarily as an engineering solution, with schemes being planned and executed by the public health and engineering departments.
- However, water is an ideal sector for the applicability of the principle of subsidiarity, performing only those tasks which cannot be performed effectively at a more immediate or local level.
Jal Jeevan mission – a solution:
- With adequate capacity building and training, water can be most efficiently managed at the lowest appropriate level.
- Adopting this principle, the Jal Jeevan Mission’s first preference will be to have community-managed single village ground water-based schemes, wherever sufficient quantity and good quality of groundwater exists.
- Wherever adequate quantity of safe groundwater is not present, or where it may be technically not feasible to have single-village schemes, surface water-based multi-village schemes will be promoted.
- Further, in some remote regions, where it may not be techno-economically feasible to have household water supply schemes, local innovations, such as solar-based schemes will be encouraged.
- It is not commonly known that household waste water from HWS amounts to about 75% of the amount of water supplied.
- With the rural households to get HWS under the proposed mission, huge quantities of household waste water will be generated across the country, therefore making its effective management critical.
- There is a plan to include a mandatory provision under the mission for the effective channelling and treatment of household waste water, through appropriate and low cost drainage and treatment systems.
- Once appropriately treated, this waste water can be used for both recharge of groundwater as well as for irrigation purposes.
Way forward:
- An extensive information, education and communication will be needed to create a people’s movement for water management.
- The ongoing Jal Shakti Abhiyan will help in creating awareness about the importance of integrating source sustainability and water reuse.
- This integrated approach to decentralised, community managed, and sustainable water management is the backbone of the government’s plan to ensure that every household gets the benefits of water supply.
Conclusion:
The Jal Jeevan Mission will be a major step towards improving our people’s ease of living and meeting their aspirations of a New India.
Topic: Conservation, environmental pollution and degradation, environmental impact assessment.
Why this question:
In response to Prime Minister’s call on India’s 73rdIndependence day, to make India free of single use plastics, a massive public campaign will be launched engaging all stakeholders.
Key demand of the question:
The answer must evaluate the need for reducing plastic waste in the country.
Directive:
Elucidate – Give a detailed account as to how and why it occurred, or what is the particular context. You must be defining key terms where ever appropriate, and substantiate with relevant associated facts.
Structure of the answer:
Introduction:
State few facts depicting plastic pollution scenario in the country.
Body:
Discussion should include the following:
Explain first the past and present India’s efforts to beat plastic pollution.
How far has the country gone?
Discuss why the steps aren’t alone enough to tackle the menace and what more needs to be done.
Conclusion:
Conclude with way forward.
Introduction:
The Prime Minister delivering his 2019 Independence Day speech at Red Fort, pitched for freedom for India from single-use plastic. This was the incumbent government’s second strong position against single-use plastic. The then Union minister for environment, forest and climate change, said on World Environment Day 2018 (June 5) that the country would try to “phase out” single-use plastic by 2022.
Body:
India’s efforts towards reducing plastic waste:
- The Plastic Waste Management (PWM) Rules 2011, introduced under the Environment Protection Act, 1986, established a framework that assigned responsibilities for plastic waste management to the urban local body (ULB) and set up a state level monitoring committee.
- The 2011 rules were succeeded by the PWM Rules 2016, which tightened the rules (for example, banning plastic bags of less than 50 microns thickness), and also lay the foundation for accountability across the value-chain.
- The new rules require producers and brand-owners to devise a plan in consultation with the local bodies to introduce a collect-back system.
- The extended producers’ responsibility (EPR) would assist the municipalities in tackling the plastic waste issue.
- The rules also state that the manufacture and use of multi-layered plastics that are hard to recycle must be phased out.
- Under the Good and Service Tax (GST), plastic waste was put under a 5 per cent bracket, hurting the informal sector, which already lacks a concrete action plan.
- Latest amendments to plastic management rules 2016:
- Rule 15 (Explicit pricing of carrying bags) has been omitted in the amendment. It earlier required every vendor, who sold commodities in a carry bag, to register with their respective urban local body and pay a minimum fee of Rs 48,000 annum (4000/month) after the announcement of the bye-laws.
- Other minor amendments include the addition of two more definitions: one on ‘alternate use’ and one on ‘energy recovery’.
- The section13 (2) now requires all brand owners and producers to register or renew registration with the concerned State Pollution Control Board (SPCB) or Pollution Control Committee if operational only in one or two states or union territories.
- They have to do the same with the Central Pollution Control Board (CPCB), if the producers/brand owners are operating in more than two states or union territories.
- Some states like Telangana, Maharashtra, Tamil Nadu, and Himachal Pradesh banned plastic bottles and Tetra packs, single-use straws, plastic/Styrofoam tea cups/containers, etc. But many like Bihar banned only polythene bags.
- The most detrimental single-use plastics are multi-layered sachets for packing products like tobacco. The Plastic Management Waste 2016 rules prohibit their use for storing and selling gutka / tobacco and paan Masala.
Shortcomings in the efforts:
- There is no central and comprehensive definition for single-use plastic, crucial for any ban to be successful. Governments currently use various definitions.
- The Plastic Management Waste 2016 rules are hardly enforced. Implementation of the rules has been poor in all aspects and the amendment says nothing to strengthen it.
- Packaging for snacks like chips and fries, chocolates, beverages, etc are equally harmful. These ubiquitous packages are not recycled.
- Section 9 (3) of the latest amendment to plastic management rules 2016 gives plastic producers a scope to argue that their products can be put to some other use, if not recycled.
- This move tantamount to revoking a complete ban, which it had implied earlier.
- This type of plastic was supposed to be banned by March 2018, but it is nowhere near a phase-out.
- The idea of extended producer responsibility (EPR), which was introduced in the rules of 2016, still remains nowhere close to being implemented even after two years.
- EPR targets have to be accounted for at the national level, irrespective of which state the products are sold or consumed in. The amendment does not address these issues. Moreover, no example of deposit refund scheme system has been implemented in any state.
- Lack of adequate infrastructure for segregation and collection is the key reason for inefficient plastic waste disposal.
- Most municipal corporations still do not have a proper system of collection and segregation, given their lack of access to technology and infrastructure, which are needed to dispose of plastic waste in a cost- and resource-efficient way.
- The Solid Waste Management Rules, 2016, mandate ULBs to set up facilities for processing sorted dry waste. However, the implementation has been rather bleak, owing to available land/space concerns.
- Source separation of waste, coupled with segregated collection and transportation, has been weak links in the waste supply.
- Imposing penalties or fines is easier said than done in a democratic setup.
- Plastic in oceans and forests are choking flora and fauna. In fact, plastic trash is expected to exceed the fish population in 2050.
- Microplastics has ability to enter food chain with the highest concentration of the pollutants
Way forward:
- ULBs could a take cue from cities like Bangalore where dry waste collection centres have not only been established but also have a self-sustainable business model.
- Municipalities must develop waste collection plans, coupled with outreach activities, to sensitise citizens on waste segregation.
- It is imperative to develop a phase-wise implementation of the EPR programme with yearly targets and a system of nationwide offsets and credit to ensure effective implementation of the rules.
- International best practices:
- The success of imposing a plastic bag fee has also been established in cities like Chicago and Washington, showing that such interventions could be effective in shaping behaviour change.
- The European Union is mulling new laws to ban some everyday single-use plastic products including straws, cutlery and plates citing plastic litter in oceans as the concern prompting the action.
- Encouraging plogging: Picking up litter while jogging or strolling was kick-started on a small scale in a small part of Stockholm about a year ago, it has spread across the globe and India can adopt this as well.
- Countries such as the U.S., Canada and the Netherlands have already put in place regulations to stop the use of microbeads in personal-care products. The sooner India adopts such regulations, the better
- Recycling has to ensure that wastes are converted into products of the same quality, if not better, compared to the original product.
- Stop using single use plastic:
- The Government of the state of Maharashtra has announced an ambitious ban of plastic bags, water bottles and other disposable plastic items in the state after the state civic bodies started facing serious problems on garbage disposing and its management.
- Fine for violating the ban will be Rs 5,000 for the first offence, Rs 10,000 for the second and Rs 25,000 for the third offence or a three-month jail term or both.
- With a worldwide crisis due to plastic waste, India has to involve all the stakeholders take the responsibility of ensuring minimisation, reuse and recycling of plastic to the maximum.
- Sensitise people to stop littering and segregate their waste. Nowadays the most popular eco-conscious effort is participating in beach cleanups.
- Sanitary napkins made from biodegradable material, menstrual cups should be promoted.
Topic:Aptitude and foundational values for Civil Service, integrity, impartiality and nonpartisanship, objectivity, dedication to public service, empathy, tolerance and compassion towards the weaker sections.
Ethics by Lexicon publications
Why this question:
Question is based on the theme of dedication of public servants.
Key demand of the question:
Explain in detail the concept of dedication, factors leading and consequences of it.
Directive:
Elucidate – Give a detailed account as to how and why it occurred, or what is the particular context. You must be defining key terms where ever appropriate, and substantiate with relevant associated facts.
Structure of the answer:
Introduction:
Define dedication as a value/virtue.
Body:
There are some professions in which individuals overly dedicate their lives, personal life, fun and comfort.
Discuss the factors that determine a civil servant’s dedication to public service – benevolence, tolerance and Compassion towards weaker Section
caring altruism, Fearlessness and Courage, Spirit of Service and Sacrifice, A sense of Mission and Focus etc.
discuss the impact of dedication and positive effects of the same.
Conclusion:
Conclude by reiterating the significance of dedication.
Introduction:
“Public service must be more than doing a job efficiently and honestly. It must be a complete dedication to the people and to the nation”- Margaret Chase. Dedication means quality of involving oneself completely or applying one’s attention, time to a particular activity, cause or a person. It suggests voluntary commitment rather than rigidity.
Body:
Importance of Dedication in public service:
- Dedication in public service is required as civil servants in India, a developing country need to perform the regular administrative and also play an important role in socio-economic development of the nation.
- In carrying out these activities he may be faced with several obstructions like social opposition against any programme which is against their deep rooted belief, lack of support from political executive.
- Schemes for promoting family planning are generally opposed in rural as they consider contraceptives as taboos here dedication is required to fulfil the goal of healthy society. One’s employees and superiors may be involved in corruption. These obstacles can only be overcome when one has perseverance and dedication.
- Public service is not a goal but journey which may be non-exciting and unwanted at times, only a dedicated civil servant can remain motivated in such situations.
- Dedication would make sense of duty an end in itself, which will be independent of assignment.
Factors influencing dedication:
- Personal experiences of the public servants.
- Empathy of the public servant.
- Altruism
- Benevolence
- tolerance and Compassion towards weaker Section
- Fearlessness and Courage
- Spirit of Service and Sacrifice
- Institutionalisation: This happens especially in case of Police and Army forces. Here a new recruit is so deeply institutionalised to deliver their duty through training/drills that it makes them ready for “Call of Duty”.
Conclusion:
Bhagavad-Gita expounds the concept of Karamanye vadhikarste ma phalesu kadachana. We should perform our duties diligently and piously, but without expectation of what the results will be.
