04 Aug 2020: UPSC Exam Comprehensive News Analysis

B. GS 2 Related

Category: POLITY AND GOVERNANCE

1. MGNREGS running out of funds

Context:

Government data shows that the Mahatma Gandhi National Rural Employment Guarantee Act (MGNREGA) scheme has used up almost half its allocated funds, one-third of the way through the financial year.

• Azim Premji Foundation (APF) conducted the survey in 13 states on the functioning of the Scheme.

Issues:

• The scheme has used up more than ₹48,500 crore out of the expanded ₹1 lakh crore allocation announced following the COVID-19 outbreak.
• With this, on the ground:
  • A number of gram panchayats in vulnerable areas have already exhausted their funds for the scheme.
  • Employment rates are dropping as the monsoon stops work in several States.
  • There are fewer livelihood options for more than four lakh families across the country which have completed their allotted 100 days of work.
• Ground observations suggest the payments are more or less in time where banking correspondents are in place.
• Payments through banks continue to be inefficient as rural branches of banks have limited capacity and infrastructure, and are often overwhelmed by overcrowding.
• Wages in the scheme are 25-30% lower than the minimum wages for agricultural workers in most States.

Recommendations:

• APF has recommended that the Centre allocate another ₹1 lakh crore to the scheme, and double the permitted work limit to 200 days per household.
• In several Gram Panchayats, the approved projects have already been exhausted. There is an urgent need for a quick process of creating further sets of projects.
• The entire process cycle of implementation and making payments needs to be eased to respond to the current needs for work and payment.
• There is a need to put money into the hands of rural consumers via MGNREGA as it is key to kickstarting the economy.

E. Editorials

Category: SOCIAL ISSUES

1. Toxic brew

Context:

• Consumption of illicit liquor has led to the death of more than 100 people in Punjab.

Background:

• There have been many instances of large-scale loss of life due to consumption of illicit liquor in the recent past.
• Such major incidents have been reported recently in Uttar Pradesh, Uttarakhand and Assam.

Details:

Health impact:

• The illicit liquor vendors in a bid to keep the costs low almost invariably use toxic methanol instead of ethanol.
• Consumption of illicit alcohol produces long-term health impacts. Illicit liquor, apart from causing death in a few cases, has also been reported to cause permanent damage in the form of blindness and tissue damage.

Apathy by government:

• The typical state government response in such cases has been providing financial relief for the affected families without addressing the root cause of the problem.
• Notably, many States have accorded low priority to revamping the excise administration and policing, resulting in low regulation of the illicit liquor trade.

Issue of corruption:

• There are also allegations that often corrupt bureaucracies allow the sale of illicit liquor by illicit liquor vendors in lieu of some share in the sales proceeds.
• Illicit liquor is sold openly by small-time vendors in some places without the fear of the state.

Impact of the pandemic:

• The issue has become further complicated during the COVID-19 pandemic, as people desperate for alcohol consumed hand sanitiser as a substitute, most recently in Andhra Pradesh.
• People with limited means to consume commercial alcohol often turn to the cheaper illicit liquor.

Way forward:

Priority area for the state:

• The state must show determination to end the sale of illicit liquor. Governments should regulate the quality of legal alcoholic drinks, while actively tracing and tracking illicit alcohol.

Ensuring health infrastructure:

• The capability of the health system in every district needs to be raised, to reduce the damage from methanol through immediate, simple detoxification therapies.

Public health campaign:

• A sustained public health campaign to wean people away from the drinking habit and to warn them about the effects of contaminants in illicit liquor are key interventions that can help reduce the instances of fatalities caused by the consumption of illicit liquor.
• The health communication about harm from alcohol is particularly relevant during the pandemic, since there is evidence of reduced immunity to viruses among those who are chronic alcohol consumers.

Cooperation with community:

• To succeed in its efforts against the sale of illicit liquor, the state can consider cooperation with the community, particularly from women’s groups. This would allow the administration to address the issue at the grass-root level with the involvement of active stakeholders like women who often have to bear the brunt of alcohol consumption.

Q1. Consider the following statements with respect to ‘Falcon 9’:

Q2. Consider the following statements with respect to Indian Leopard:

Q3. International Space Station program is a joint project of which of the following 
space agencies?

Q4. Consider the following statements with respect to Electronic Vaccine Intelligence 
Network (eVIN):

I. UPSC Mains Practice Questions

1. In the light of repeated instances of large-scale loss of human life due to consumption of illicit liquor in India, discuss the associated concerns and suggest suitable measures to address these concerns. (10 marks, 150 words)(GS Paper 1/Social Issues)
2. Discuss the salient provisions of the Epidemic Diseases Act of 1897 and analyze its shortcomings in dealing with the current pandemic crisis. (10 marks, 150 words)(GS Paper 2/Government Policies and Interventions)

Read the previous CNA here.