Gist of EPW April Week 3, 2022

The Economic and Political Weekly (EPW) is an important source of study material for IAS, especially for the current affairs segment. In this section, we give you the gist of the EPW magazine every week. The important topics covered in the weekly are analyzed and explained in a simple language, all from a UPSC perspective.

Gist of EPW April Week 3, 2022:-Download PDF Here

TABLE OF CONTENTS

1. Russia–Ukraine War and the Changing World Order
2. COVID-19 and India’s Ongoing Migration Fiasco
3. Extending the Regime of Incarceration

1. Russia–Ukraine War and the Changing World Order

Context

This article talks about the invasion of Ukraine by Russia and its geopolitical implications.

Reasons for Russia’s aggression toward Ukraine

• Russia wishes to project itself as an imperial power and demonstrate its status as one of the major powers in the current world.
• To extend its influence and assistance to the ethnic and other minorities in the former Soviet Countries.
• To establish Russia’s lost influence on Eurasia which has been dominated mostly by the western forces in recent years.
• To counter the eastward expansion of NATO, particularly in what Russia calls its rimland territories, which includes countries like Ukraine, Georgia, Estonia, Latvia, etc.
• To dismantle the Ukrainian military infrastructure as it sees the development in military technology in Ukraine as a serious threat to its interests.
• To crea­te a buffer for Russian security in the region by extending its influence on places such as Donetsk, Luhansk, and Crimea, all of which give Russia strategic control over the Black Sea.

Geopolitical consequences due to the war in Ukraine 

• This unjustified aggression of Russia over Ukraine has triggered a shift in the geopolitical order forcing a renewed bal­ance of power. 
• Countries across the world and their diplomats are currently studying the implications of the repositioning that has taken place in the world order post the Ukraine crisis.
• Russia is expected to suffer from the long-term consequences of its actions.
• The world currently witnesses constant oil price volatility, grain shortages, supply chain disruptions, and economic stag­fla­tion.

Long-term Strategic Plan of the US

• The major consequence of the war in Ukraine is that it has given an opportunity for the US to revisit its strategy.
• The US since the end of the cold war had continued to view Russia as a threat and promoted hostility towards Russia by utilising its soft power and influence.
• The US government calls the latest phase in the global order “strategic competition” or “great power competition”.
  • The changing global dynamics have forced the US to end its “forever wars” in the Middle East to reclaim its strategic advantage.
• The US sees China as a challenger to its strategic interests and also clubs China and Russia together as its targets.
• Experts in the US believe that the war in Ukraine will invariably weaken Russia and thus give the US the much-needed leverage in the “great power competition”.
• The United States-led North Atlantic Treaty Organization (NATO) has been strengthened and is extending its support to Ukraine. The US defence budget for Ukraine has also incre­ased. 
• The aftereffects of war and the economic sanctions by the west on Russia have put a dent in Russia’s economy which is showing signs of stress. 
• This will not just impact Russia but also China’s economy thereby having an impact on Russia–China strategic alliance.

Consequences of war in Europe and Asia-Pacific

• The European allies of the US-led NATO are increasing their ­defence budgets and changing their legal provisions to provide arms to Ukraine.
• The Nord Stream Pipeline from Russia to Germany has not yet been commissioned. 
• France, which earlier had expressed dissatisfaction over the AUKUS as the US bypassed France’s deal with Australia on nuclear submarines, has now shown signs of realigning with the US. 
• The Minsk I and II agreements that were negotiated by France and Germany for peace between Ukraine and Russia have lost their significance.
• However, most European countries still acknowledge the fact that interdependence and development in the region require a sustainable engagement with Russia and Eurasia.
• The focus of the “great power competition” is mainly centred around the Asia Pacific. 
• Major US allies such as Australia, New Zealand, Japan, the Rep­ublic of Korea, and Singapore have announced sanctions on Russia and see China as a major threat. 
• Militarisation is increasing in the region, with the announcement of the AUKUS grouping which involves Australia, the UK and the US.
• The QUAD partnership of the US, Japan, India, and Australia has also engaged itself regularly in the region. 

Response by China

• China recognises that they are the primary competitor to the US in the “great power competition” and the focus of the US towards Russia is temporary. 
• China has not called Russia an aggressor in the Ukraine war, has condemned NATO’s eastward expansion and sanctions as unilateral moves by the US, and has recognised Russia’s demands as “legitimate security concerns.” 
• If the US warned China about its assistance to Russia, China in turn warned the US about “playing with fire” on the Taiwan issue.
• China is bolstering its defences as the US focuses on the extension of its military presence in the Asia Pacific.
• Chinese foreign policy experts believe that the US’s atte­mpts to weaken the Sino-Russian relations cannot succeed because Russia gives China strategic depth, supports its energy and food needs and can help in case of any US threat.
• Russia and China have been exploring various alternatives and have consolidated trade relations through local currency exchange like that of ruble-renminbi trade.

India

• As the US is looking to partners to hold Russia accountable for the war in Ukraine and the consequences post the invasion, the US does not tolerate neutrality, non-alignment or strategic autonomy that characterises the positions taken by India and other developing countries.
• India’s position of neutrality, non-alignment and abstentions during the voting in the international organisations that condemn the Russian invasion has drawn international attention. 
• India is under extraordinary pressure from the US and its allies.
• India’s stance is aimed toward balancing its relations with Russia, which has been a historical time-tested strategic partner and the US which has become a new strategic ally that India is forging ties in the wake of unresolved tensions with China and Pakistan. 
• It has become extremely important for India to maintain its partnerships with both countries and there is no other way except neutrality.
• Experts opine that in the context of the current geopolitical scenario, India must walk the tightrope and focus more on domestic growth. And hence, India cannot get involved in wars waged by great powers. 

The Global South

• The Indian position is similar to many countries of the global South.
• The response by various countries of the Global South can be broadly classified into four:
  • Countries that have condemned the Russian aggression and placed sanctions – South Korea, Singapore, Cambodia, Fiji, and Kenya.
  • Countries that have condemned the invasion but have recognised Russia’s “legitimate security concerns” – Most ASEAN countries, African and Latin American countries.
  • Countries that have maintained neutrality and strategic silence, abstentions in the UN – South Asia, Brazil, Laos, Mongolia, Vietnam, South Africa.
  • Countries that have shown sympathy towards Russia – China and Central Asian Countries.
• Although the developing countries are more committed to safeguarding national sovereignty, favouring international law and opposing secessionist movements they have chosen neutra­lity in this case because most of these countries depend on Russia for arms, hydrocarbons, grains, fertilisers and other commodities.
• Most of the countries in the Global South have little interest in the war between Russia and the US-led NATO.
• Also, the Russian and Chinese developmental aids support many of these countries.

Conclusion

Russia’s invasion of Ukraine has not just resulted in the large-scale devastation of Ukraine but has also posed challenges such as large-scale trade disruptions, increased carbon footprint and accelerated global militarisation which have severe implications on the global order. The international community must respond quickly and find a solution to these challenges along with pacifying the tensions in Ukraine at the earliest to reestablish global stability.

2. COVID-19 and India’s Ongoing Migration Fiasco

Context

This article discusses the critical issues to understand and address the contemporary migrant crisis triggered due to the COVID-19 pandemic.

Background

• In summer 2020, lakhs of migrant workers or labourers were stuck in the cities without any means of livelihood due to the implemented COVID-19 related restrictions and lockdowns.
• During the initial period of the nationwide lockdown, people were seen gathering in public spaces desperate for food and shelter. In the absence of public transportation, people were seen walking hundreds of kilometres or paid up to a month’s wage to travel home on overcrowded vehicles. 
• These workers usually work in the informal sectors without any contracts and access to social welfare measures. 
• This interlocking and long-standing set of exclusions had made the plight of these migrant workers unnoticed by the government and the general public.

Government’s Response

• In February 2021, the government revealed an official figure of 1.1 crores of returning migrants.
• The government organised the Shramik trains for the return journeys of migrants,
  • Nearly 57 lakh people returned through these Shramik trains.
• The government also announced a $22.6 billion relief package after 50 days of lockdown, with which food and cash assistance was extended to migrant workers.
• The premier government think-tank, NITI Aayog proposed the National Labour Migrant Policy. The proposals included,
  • Setting up of a dedicated unit under the Ministry of Labour and Employment (MoLE) to coordinate across different ministries
  • Improve links to government schemes 
  • Setting up institutions that support Interstate migration 
  • Further, plans are underway to gather more detailed data on short-term migration to address previous gaps in national statistics.

Critical issues with the migrant populations across the country

• Segmentation in urban migrant labour markets by class, caste, and gender.
  • Based on various studies, it is found that employment in modern industries and services is not dictated by skills alone, but rather by caste- and place-based categories.
  • The lowest-paid jobs are recruited through contractors and village-level brokers who are often found to exploit workers.
• The inaccessibility and high cost of urban housing and other services. 
  • Although cities are important places of employment, they lack reliable support during crises. 
  • The urban policies are mainly focused on building infrastructures that create “world-class” cities but fail to address the needs of migrant workers who provide the much-needed cheap labour.
• Hierarchies and spatial divides of citizenship that are shaped by differential access to documentation.
  • The entry to the Shramik trains required migrants to furnish proof of identity, which many of them lacked.
  • The food and cash assistance were extended only upon the presentation of documents of registration under the Inter-state Migrant Workmen (Regulation of Employment and Conditions of Service) Act (ISMWA), which the migrants were unable to furnish.
  • Proof of identity remains a barrier for migrant populations in accessing the public affordable housing programmes, like the Pradhan Mantri Awas Yojana (PMAY).
• The high reliance of governments on ineffective data on circular migration has resulted in women and children being neglected through the gaps in the welfare provisions.
  • The data on circular migration in India is ineffective as it does not capture seasonal and other kinds of short-term migrations.
• The draft policy by Niti Aayog did not acknowledge the structure of labour markets and the position of migrants in industries where they occupy the most hazardous and fragmented jobs.

Way Forward

• The policy­makers and other stakeholders must build on the lessons learned during the pandemic on social welfare, housing and labour market legislation.
• States must increase efforts to create local employment and appoint nodal officers in the destination states to respond to the grievances of outbound migrants.
• The government should look for ways to collaborate with the private sector to address the problems faced by migrant workers.
  • Example: Extending incentives to private players who help improve basic facilities for workers such as access to housing and livelihood.
• With evidence-based approaches and policies based on a robust understanding of the problems of migrants, governments will be able to play a more proactive role in addressing the risks and vulnerabilities of the migrants.
• Streamlining and streng­thening the urban governance can help migrants to secure work and live in cities with the dignity that they deserve. 

Conclusion

As the pandemic induced lockdown and restrictions have highlighted the situation of migrant workers in India, there is an urgent need to improve recruitment, placement, employment, and housing facilities and services that help in elevating the life and livelihood of the migrant workers.

3. Extending the Regime of Incarceration

Context

The Criminal Procedure (Identification) Bill, 2022

Background

• Recently, the Criminal Procedure (Identification) Bill, 2022 was passed by the Parliament. 
• The bill aims to replace the century-old Identification of Prisoners Act, 1920, which allowed the collection of measurements for the identification and investigation of criminal matters.

Criminal Procedure (Identification) Bill, 2022

• The Identification of Prisoners Act, 1920, was limited to capturing fingerprint and foot-print impressions and photographs of prisoners.
• The new Criminal Procedure (Identification) Act, 2022 permits the police and other enforcement authorities to collect, store and analyse physical and biological samples of convicts and other persons to identify and investigate criminal matters.
  • One of the key features of the bill is that its scope is extended to the collection of measurements not only from convicted persons but also from persons arrested for any offence punishable by law.
  • Further, measurements may also be taken from persons not arrested for an offence, if the magistrate is satisfied that the measurements may serve the purpose of investigation. 
• The bill widens the definition of measurements to include aspects such as;
  • Iris and retina scans
  • Behavioural attributes
  • Signatures
  • Handwriting
  • Finger impressions
  • Footprint impressions
  • Palm-print impressions
  • Photographs
  • Other examinations mentioned in the Code of Criminal Procedure (CrPC) which include bodily fluids such as sputum, semen, blood.
  • Any other materials that may be used for DNA profiling
• After the collection of data, it is to be handed over to the National Crime Records Bureau (NCRB), which will “store” the data for at least 75 years. and “share and disseminate such records with a law enforcement agency.

Read more about the – Criminal Procedure (Identification) Bill, 2022

Legitimacy of the the Criminal Procedure (Identification) Bill

• Test of proportionality
  • The bill provides for making it non-obligatory to collect biological samples unless the offence is against a child or a woman or punishable with imprisonment of seven years or more. 
  • Since an intrusion of privacy by collecting biological samples is proportional to the objective of fighting serious crimes such as crimes against women and children, the bill passes the test of proportionality.
• Test of necessity
  • The bill mentions that all measurement records should be destroyed if the measurements of a person not previously convicted are taken and they are discharged, acquitted, or released without a trial. 
  • As it provides that the data, which are not necessary for the objective of the investigation of crime can be deleted, the bill fulfils the test of necessity.

Key concerns about the Criminal Procedure (Identification) Bill

• Violation of Right to Privacy
  • The bill is said to be violating the right to privacy which has been recognised as a fundamental right under Article 21 of the Constitution. 
  • This is a coercive law, i.e. it mandates individuals to allow measurements to be collected and provides for punishment against refusal or resistance.
• Violation of Right to Erasure (Right To Be Forgotten)
  • Right to Erasure is a right of an individual to demand the deletion of the information if the data is no more required.
  • Allowing the measurements to be stored for at least 75 years is said to be against the right to erasure.

• Violation of Article 20(3) of the Constitution
  • Article 20(3) of the Constitution, guarantees the right against self-incrimination as a fundamental right.
  • As the bill makes it mandatory to provide the necessary measurements, irrespective of one’s wish, it violates the Article 20(3)
• Incarceration without a crime
  • These provisions can be used to harass individuals who are simply “suspected” of committing an offence or “likely” to commit one.
  • Critics also point out that the act can be misused for political gains by suppressing political rivals.

Read previous EPW articles in the link.

Gist of EPW April Week 3, 2022:-Download PDF Here