18 Apr 2019: UPSC Exam Comprehensive News Analysis

A. GS1 Related

Context:

• The Meenakshi Sundareswarar Temple wore a colourful and festive look on the occasion of the celestial wedding of Lord Sundareswarar with Goddess Meenakshi.

Historical background:

• Meenakshi Temple (also referred to as Meenakshi Amman or Meenakshi-Sundareshwara Temple) is a historic Hindu temple located on the southern bank of the Vaigai River in the temple city of Madurai, Tamil Nadu, India.
• It is dedicated to Meenakshi, a form of Parvati, and her consort, Sundareshwar, a form of Shiva.
• The temple is at the center of the ancient temple city of Madurai mentioned in the Tamil Sangam literature, with the goddess temple mentioned in 6th century CE texts.
• Though the temple has historic roots, most of the present campus structure was rebuilt after the 14th century CE, further repaired, renovated and expanded in the 17th century by Thirumalai Nayak.
• In the early 14th century, the armies of Delhi Sultanate led by Muslim Commander Malik Kafur plundered the temple, looted it of its valuables and destroyed the Madurai temple town along with many other temple towns of South India. The contemporary temple is the result of rebuilding efforts started by the Vijayanagara Empire rulers who rebuilt the core and reopened the temple.
• The Temple has been adjudged best ‘Swachh Iconic Place’ in India as on October 1, 2017 under Prime Minister of India Narendra Modi’s Flagship Swachh Bharat Abhiyan.
• The Meenakshi wedding festival attracting over a million people over 12 days. It is called the “Meenakshi Thirukalyanam”. The festival is celebrated in the Chithirai month, which typically falls about April. It marks the divine marriage of Meenakshi, and is the most attended festival.

Context:

• The High Court of Karnataka has upheld the State government’s notifications issued in 2016 and 2017 increasing minimum wage in 34 types of private industries.

Background:

• Effective April 1, 2018, the government in Karnataka notified revision of minimum wages, which has triggered a big debate in the state

What is per cent wage Increase?

• As per the notification, minimum wages went up across the board. The table below explains the extent of increase for the role of typist/data entry operator for Zone 1 (Bengaluru). The figures are in rupees per month.

• The basic minimum wages are fixed every 3 to 5 years, while the VDA changes every 6/12 months. The basic wages were revised for this role on 1 April 2012 and thereafter the increase was only in VDA, which is supposed to correct for inflation. The basic wages were revised in 2018, wherein part of the VDA was also included. But the total salary increased by 55 per cent, as compared to 1 per cent increase the previous year. The increase in other roles is also significant – upwards of 30 per cent.

Code on Wages (CoW) Bill controversy:

• This increase comes in the context of the recent Code on Wages (CoW) bill presented in the parliament on 10 Aug 2017, by the then minister of State for Labour. This bill, yet to be passed by the parliament, was part of the BJP government’s labour reform, which tried to set a National Floor Level for Wages (NFL) and National policy on minimum wages that are actually administered by the individual States.
• CoW attempts to rationalise and revise minimum wages upwards and created a lot of reaction from the employers, who thought (mistakenly) the National Floor Wage would be over Rs 21,000 per month. It was later clarified that the NFL was not specified in the CoW bill. Incidentally, the minimum wage for a government employee was revised from Rs 18,000 to Rs 21,000 per month, recently. But the minimum wages for employees in private employment are far lower and despite that most employers beat the system by paying even less than the minimum wages

Why in Karnataka?

• But before we discuss Karnataka, we must discuss Delhi. AAP Government scored the first goal for minimum wage increase. According to the March 3, 2017 notification, the minimum wages for an unskilled worker went up from Rs 9,724 per month to Rs 13,350, an increase of 37 per cent. The semi-skilled wages went up from Rs 10,764 to Rs 14.698 per month, an increase of 36.5 per cent. This, however, was stuck down on the 4th August 2018 by the Delhi high court, as the employers went to the court and claimed that they were not consulted adequately.
• Karnataka has followed the Delhi AAP game plan to significantly increase the minimum wages.. Karnataka was anyway struggling to attract youth to non- IT jobs because the IT industry sets very high salary standards. So the big revision is a far easier matter for Karnataka than a state like Uttar Pradesh.

What are implications for the rest of India?

The Karnataka model will be adopted by all parties. The larger companies will make some noise, but will adopt it, because they have no choice and will start looking at productivity improvement and automation to compensate for the increase in costs. The MSME sector will be impacted. Those who can manage the local compliance authorities will get away by paying less than the minimum wages. Those who want to comply in MSMEs will suffer. The only solution is to provide Skill Wage Incentive (SWI) to MSMEs to compensate up to 25 per cent of the salary for all new employees for the first three years. Already the Central Government has started National Apprentice Promotion Scheme (NAPS) under which employers are paid directly Rs 1,500 per month for 12 months as an incentive. Central government is paying 12 per cent EPF contribution of employers for all new employment in the next three years. Hence, the MSME Skill Wage Incentive can be easily be implemented on similar lines and hence is a must for MSME compliance.

B. GS2 Related

(This news item is taken from the printed edition of the Business Standard.)

Context:

• Navies of India and Vietnam held a four-day maritime exercise off Cam Ranh Bay in Vietnam from April 13 with an aim to boost operational cooperation has ended on 17th April.

Details:

• Indian Navy’s war ships Kolkata and Shakti participated in the annual exercise, comprising a harbour and a sea phase
• The exercise was undertaken as a part of the on-going overseas deployment of eastern fleet ships to South East Asian countries.

C. GS3 Related

Context:

• Over 50 people were killed due to rain, coupled with thunderstorm and lightning in several parts of Rajasthan, Madhya Pradesh, Gujarat and Maharashtra overnight. The unseasonal rain and storm also caused damage to property and crops in Gujarat and Rajasthan.

Details:

• Relief work: An ex gratia of Rs. 2 lakh each for the next of kin of those who lost their lives due to unseasonal rain & storms in MP, Rajasthan, Manipur & various parts of the country has been approved from the PM’s National Relief Fund. Rs. 50,000 each for the injured has also been approved.
• Rajasthan Disaster Management Minister Master Bhanwar Lal Meghwal said 25 people died in the State. The State announced Rs. 4 lakh in compensation each to the bereaved families.
• Chief Minister of Rajasthan Ashok Gehlot directed officials to carry out a survey of losses immediately so that compensation could be given on time.

Cause for the rain:

• The unseasonal rain was part of a western disturbance.

What is western disturbance?

• A Western Disturbance is an extra-tropical storm originating in the Mediterranean region that brings sudden winter rain to the northwestern parts of the Indian subcontinent. It is a non-monsoonal precipitation pattern driven by the westerlies.
• Western Disturbances also bring heavy snowfall in the Himalayan Region and a cold wave to north Indian plains.

Context:

• The Directorate General of Civil Aviation (DGCA) is going to conduct a special safety audit of the low-cost carrier IndiGo following concerns about the snag-ridden Pratt and Whitney (P&W) engines, which power the airline’s A320 Neo aircraft. While an annual audit of IndiGo was due in April, a special review will also be done of the airline’s operations and engineering departments,

Details:

• Indian carriers IndiGo and GoAir have been inducting the P&W engine-powered A320 Neo aircraft since 2016. The former has 72 of these planes and the latter has 30.
• With rising glitches in Pratt & Whitney engine-powered A320neo planes, the central government has decided to meet various stakeholders to review the recurring problems. In India, budget carriers IndiGo and GoAir use the P&W engines to power their A320neo aircraft.
• The Centre’s decision comes after IndiGo’s Kolkata-bound flight had to return to Chennai on January 3, following a mid-air engine failure. It was reported that a “loud bang” was heard followed by smoke and heavy vibrations
• This was the third such incident in one month involving an IndiGo plane.
• On December 10 last year, an IndiGo flight made emergency landing in Kolkata after its cabin was filled with smoke.
• On December 23, IndiGo A320neo flight from Port Blair to Kolkata reportedly suffered mid-air engine failure.

Problems in engine:

• There have been problems in different parts of the engine, including the combustion chamber, knife edge seal, lift-off seal, front hub corrosion and heating of oil near lift-off seal leading to smoke on board a flight, apart from vibration during climb.
• The engine-maker maintains that the problems are taking place as the engines are new into operations.

About DGCA:

• The Directorate General of Civil Aviation (DGCA) is the Indian governmental regulatory body for civil aviation under the Ministry of Civil Aviation. This directorate investigates aviation accidents and incidents. It is headquartered along Sri Aurobindo Marg, opposite Safdarjung Airport, in New Delhi.
• The Government of India is planning to replace the organization with a Civil Aviation Authority (CAA), modeled on the lines of the American Federal Aviation Administration (FAA)

Vision of DGCA:

• Endeavour to promote safe and efficient Air Transportation through regulation and proactive safety oversight system.

Functions:

1. Registration of civil aircraft
2. Certification of airports
3. Licensing of pilots, aircraft maintenance engineers, air traffic controllers and flight engineers, and conducting examinations and checks for that purpose
4. Carrying out amendments to the Aircraft Act, the Aircraft Rules and the Civil Aviation Requirements for complying with the amendments to ICAO Annexes, and initiating proposals for amendment to any other Act or for passing a new Act in order to give effect to an international Convention or amendment to an existing convention.
5. Formulation of standards of airworthiness for civil aircraft registered in India and grant of certificates of airworthiness to such aircraft
6. Conducting investigation into incidents and serious incidents involving aircraft upto 2250 kg AUW and taking accident prevention measures, including formulation of implementation of Safety Aviation Management Programmes
7. Checks on the proficiency of flight crew and other operational personnel such as flight dispatchers and cabin crew
8. Coordination of ICAO matters with all agencies, sending replies to State letters, and taking all necessary action arising out of the Universal Safety Oversight Audit Programme (USOAP) of ICAO.
9. Granting Air Operator’s Certificates to Indian carriers and regulation of air transport services operating to/from/within/over India by Indian and foreign operators, including clearance of scheduled and non-scheduled flights of such operators
10. Approval of institutes engaged in flying training including simulator training, AME training, air traffic services training or any other training related with aviation, with a view to ensuring a high quality of training
11. Approval to aircraft maintenance, repair, design and manufacturing organizations and their continued oversight
12. A nodal agency for implementing Annex 9 provisions in India and for coordinating matters relating to facilitation at Indian airports, including holding meetings of the National Facilitation Committee DGCA Organization Manual
13. Rendering advice to the Government on matters relating to air transport including bilateral air services agreements, on ICAO matters and generally on all technical matters relating to civil aviation, and to act as an overall regulatory and developmental body for civil aviation in the country
14. Keeping a check on aircraft noise and engine emissions in accordance with ICAO Annex 16 and collaborating with the environmental authorities in this matter, if required
15. Regulation and oversight of matters related to Air Navigation Services. Coordination at national level for flexi-use of air space by civil and military air traffic agencies and interaction with ICAO for provision of more air routes for civil use through Indian airspace
16. Promoting indigenous design and manufacture of aircraft and aircraft components by acting as a catalytic agent
17. Approving training programmes of operators for carriage of dangerous goods, issuing authorizations for carriage of dangerous goods, etc.
18. Safety Oversight of all entities approved/ certified/ licensed under the Aircraft Rules 1937.

D. GS4 Related

E. Editorials

What’s in the news?

• The Election Commission of India (EC) is a formidable institution which has led the world in electoral efficiency since its inception.
• However, in the 2019 general election, it has come under the scanner like never before in the wake of incidents involving a breach of the Model Code of Conduct, particularly those by the ruling party.

Editorial Analysis:

• On April 8, 2019, in a letter to the President of India, a group of retired bureaucrats and diplomats, in the context of recent incidents, expressed concern over the EC’s “weak kneed conduct” and the institution “suffering from a crisis of credibility today”.

Some Areas of concern:

• The letter described the Prime Minister’s March 27, 2019 announcement, of India’s first anti-satellite (ASAT) test, as a “serious breach of propriety [which] amounts to giving unfair publicity to the party in power”.
• Questions were also raised over the launch of NaMo TV without licence, and a biopic on the life of the Prime Minister which was scheduled for release on April 11, 2019 when elections commenced.
• The group also requested the Election Commission of India to “issue directions to withhold the release of all biopics and documentaries on any political personages through any media mechanism until the conclusion of the electoral process”.
• They asserted that the release of such propaganda amounted to free publicity, and hence should be debited as election expenditure in the name of the candidate in question. The same standards should also apply to other such propaganda, an example being a web series titled “Modi: A Common Man’s Journey”.
• Other important issues highlighted in the letter included:

1. transfers of top officials,
2. voter verifiable paper audit trail (VVPAT) audits,
3. violations of the MCC by Rajasthan Governor Kalyan Singh (for which the group has requested his removal on account of “grave misdemeanour”) and Uttar Pradesh Chief Minister Yogi Adityanath (in his speech he referred to the armed forces as the army of Narendra Modi), and
4. also corrosion of the political discourse in general.

• Needless to say, the questions being raised about the credibility of the EC are a cause for worry. It is, however, not the first time that the conduct of the commission has been questioned.

At the core of the Issue: Appointment of Election Commissioners

• Some experts take the view that the genesis of the problem lies in the flawed system of appointment of election commissioners, who are appointed unilaterally by the government of the day.
• This debate can be settled once and for all by depoliticising appointments through a broad-based consultation, as in other countries.
• In its 255th report, the Law Commission recommended a collegium, consisting of the Prime Minister, the Leader of the Opposition and the Chief Justice of India.
• Political stalwarts such as L.K. Advani, and former Chief Election Commissioners including B.B. Tandon, N. Gopalaswami and S.Y. Quraishi supported the idea in the past even when in office.
• However, successive ruling dispensations have ducked the issue, not wanting to let go of their power. It is obvious that political and electoral interests take precedence over the national interest.
• A public interest litigation was also filed in the Supreme Court in late 2018 calling for a “fair, just and transparent process of selection by constituting a neutral and independent Collegium/selection committee”. The matter has been referred to a constitution bench. It’s not a routine matter.
• On issues of such vital importance, even the Supreme Court — which has always been described as the guardian angel of democracy — has to act with utmost urgency. If democracy is derailed, its future too would be in jeopardy.
• Besides the manner of appointment, the system of removal of Election Commissioners also needs correction.
• Only the Chief Election Commissioner (CEC) is protected from being removed except through impeachment.
• The other two commissioners having equal voting power in the functioning of the EC can outvote the CEC. The uncertainty of elevation by seniority makes them vulnerable to government pressure. The government can control a defiant CEC through the majority voting power of the two commissioners.
• One has to remember that the Constitution enabled protection to the CEC as it was a one-man commission initially. This must now be extend to other commissioners, who were added in 1993, as they collectively represent the EC.

Concluding Remarks: The Way Forward

• The EC’s reputation also suffers when it is unable to tame recalcitrant political parties, especially the ruling party.
• This is because despite being the registering authority under Section 29A of the Representation of the People Act, 1951, it has no power to de-register them even for the gravest of violations.
• The EC has been seeking the power to de-register political parties, among many other reforms, which the EC has been wanting.
• The reform was first suggested by the CEC in 1998 and reiterated several times.
• The EC also submitted an affidavit to the Supreme Court in February 2018, saying it wanted to be empowered “to de-register a political party, particularly in view of its constitutional mandate”.
• It is important to note that elections are the bedrock of democracy and the EC’s credibility is central to democratic legitimacy.
• Hence, the guardian of elections itself needs urgent institutional safeguards to protect its autonomy. It is time that action is taken to depoliticise constitutional appointments and the EC empowered to de-register parties for electoral misconduct.
• It is a step needed towards restoring all-important public faith in the institution.
• While these reforms may continue to be debated, nothing stops the EC from asserting the ample authority it has under the Constitution and being tough.
• It’s not their discretion but the constitutional mandate. It did not need a reminder or a nudge from the Supreme Court.

2. For a free referee

Q1) Consider the following statements with respect to western disturbances:

Q2) Where is the famous Meenakshi Temple found?

Q3) On which river bank the famous Meenakshi Temple of Madurai is found?

Q4) Consider the following statements regarding The Directorate General of Civil 
Aviation (DGCA):

Q5) Where was the recent India - Vietnam naval exercise held?