27 Aug 2022: UPSC Exam Comprehensive News Analysis

C. GS 3 Related

Category: ENVIRONMENT

1. Achieving 2070 net-zero target could boost India’s GDP: report

Syllabus: Conservation, environmental pollution and degradation

Prelims: India’s commitments at COP26 held in Glasgow

Mains: Significance of achieving the “net zero” emission target for India and the way forward

Context: Release of a report by the High-level Policy Commission on Getting Asia to Net Zero.

India’s commitments at COP26 held in Glasgow

At the Conference of the Parties – COP 26, the Indian Prime Minister made five commitments which are famously known as “Panchamrit”. They include:

• India will increase its non-fossil energy capacity to 500 GW by 2030
• Meeting 50% of India’s energy requirements through “renewable energy” by 2030
• Reducing the total projected carbon emissions by one billion tonnes till 2030
• Reducing the carbon intensity of India’s economy by over 45%
• Achieving the target of “net zero” by the year 2070, when there will be no net carbon dioxide emitted from energy sources.

To read more about – COP26 held in Glasgow

Significance of achieving the “net zero” target set by India

• A  recently released report by the High-level Policy Commission on Getting Asia to Net Zero points out that achieving the “net zero carbon” emission target by 2070 will help boost India’s Gross Domestic Product (GDP) by more than 4.7% of the projected baseline growth by 2036 which accounts for over $371 billion.
• As per the report, sticking to the deadline and undertaking concrete efforts could also help generate close to 15 million new jobs by 2047.
• A reduction in the demand for fossil fuels on account of shifting towards non-fossil fuels will help improve the trade balance of the country by about $236 billion.
• The report further says that by achieving the net zero targets by 2050, India could improve its annual GDP by about 7.3% which accounts for over $470 billion and help generate 20 million new jobs by 2032.

Way forward

• Achieving the net zero emissions targets by 2070 would require an investment of over $10.1 trillion.
  • Whereas achieving the targets by 2050 would require $13.5 trillion as an investment.
• Apart from the investments, proper implementation of viable policy options to decarbonise India’s energy infrastructure and economy can help India to reach its net zero targets by mid-century.
• Repost points out that comprehensive planning will help attract additional investments which will help in freeing up the existing resources to address adverse impacts of climate policies such as carbon taxes.
• Abandoning the use of new coal by 2023 and shifting away from unabated coal power by 2040 will also help India achieve its targets much earlier.

Nut graf: Achievement of India’s net zero emission targets will not only help the country to fight against the adverse impacts of climate change but also help promote sustainable and inclusive development as it has the potential to boost the growth in the economy, generate employment opportunities and improve health.

E. Editorials

Category: SECURITY

1. Armed Forces (Special Powers) Act 1958

Syllabus:Role of External State & Non-State Actors in Creating Challenges to Internal Security

Mains: Role of AFSPA in Internal security management

Context: Prime Minister, Narendra Modi, while addressing a rally in Assam in April 2022, stated Government of India’s intention of withdrawing the Armed Forces (Special Powers) Act 1958, or AFSPA, completely from the region.

Introduction:

• The origin of AFSPA can be traced to the Armed Forces (Special Powers) Ordinance 1942 which was enacted by Colonial rule to oppress the rebels during the Quit India movement, particularly in Assam and Bengal in October 1942. 
• The law continues to be enforced in its new format as the Armed Forces (Special Powers) Act 1958. 
• The need for the law was required in the 1950s when Naga insurgents resorted to large-scale violence which resulted in ambushes and killings of  hundreds of Indian Army soldiers and paramilitary personnel.

Read more on AFSPA in detail

Nut Graf: The decision by the union government to withdraw the draconian law is a bold decision. However, there needs to be a comprehensive periodical review undertaken till the complete withdrawal of AFSPA. 

Category: POLITY

1. Right to Privacy

Syllabus: Indian Constitution- Fundamental rights

Mains: Right to privacy in Indian context

Context: August 24,2022 marked five years since the Supreme Court of India’s judgement in the case of Justice K.S. Puttaswamy (retd.) vs Union of India which recognised right to privacy as a fundamental right.

Introduction: 

•  The nine judge bench formally recognised the right to privacy as being a fundamental right under right to life and personal liberty, guaranteed by Article 21 of the Indian Constitution. 
• The judgement also held that while the right to privacy is intrinsic to an individual’s ability to exercise bodily autonomy, it is still not an “absolute right” in and of itself, placing limitations in a manner similar to those placed on the right to free speech and expression.

Ground Reality:

• Not much has changed with respect to the right to privacy following the judgement. 
• The Personal Data Protection Bill, 2021, after a long period of stagnation has been  withdrawn in August 2022.
• Data security breaches which result in the loss and theft of personal, sensitive data have not reduced in terms of measurable frequency or their impact. 
• Any person or business within and outside India is still in a position where, for a slight bargain, they can procure the personal information for a vast majority of the people, categorized and labelled neatly wherever possible, for use and consumption.
• This data is used most often by some legitimate advertising agencies, unscrupulous telemarketing firms, and cyber criminals. 
• Brokers of such data have in fact become so brazen where they have taken to listing their goods for sale on mainstream e-commerce platforms. 
• This status quo leaves the general populace open to a range of harm in the form of elaborate phishing attacks and financial scams aided by the attacker’s access to personal information, as well as other harmful activities which rely on the attacker possessing key bits of information about an individual.
• Privacy of individuals with certain political and intellectual affinities are also under threat as the security and integrity of their electronic devices are concerned with the alleged use of the Pegasus spyware in India. 
• Alleged targeting of Indian nationals by the Government of India using Pegasus can be seen as  disregard of objectives that Puttaswamy judgment might have been thought to carry.
• New VPN rules aimed to enhance the cyber security of India, restricting Indian nationals from subscribing to and accessing VPN services shows disregard to the judgment on right to privacy of which informational privacy is a part.

Read more on Privacy in India

Nut Graf: Puttaswamy judgment has missed the mark for the objective that was sought, and that it represents a foregone opportunity to protect the rights of Indian citizens while ensuring all of the checks and balances necessary to prevent Government overreach and abuse of power.

Category: SOCIAL JUSTICE

1. Manual Scavenging

Syllabus: Issues relating to Vulnerable sections

Mains: Persistence of Manual scavenging across the country

Context: Recently, the state government of Tamil Nadu notified rules for employment and rehabilitation of manual scavengers.

Introduction:

• Tamil Nadu recently notified the rules of the Prohibition of Employment as Manual Scavengers and their Rehabilitation Act, 2013.
• This is done to invoke the concept of dignity of labor. To allot the task of removing excreta and cleaning sewers to humans when machines are able to do the work is a gross violation of rights.
• As per the data by the Union ministry of Social justice, hazardous cleaning of sewers and septic tanks has led to at least 971 deaths since 1993, the year the law prohibiting employment of manual scavengers was enacted.
• Tamil Nadu is among the top States in the list. The causes of deaths while cleaning sewers and septic tanks are noxious gasses, not taking measures to prevent those deaths would be criminal. 
• Manual  ‘scavenging’ is completely prohibited, but the rules allow manual cleaning, in specific conditions where mechanical equipment cannot be deployed to fix the problem, or when it is absolutely necessary to have human intervention, after stating the valid reasons for allowing such a process to take place. 

Manual Scavenging:

• The term is used mainly for “manually cleaning, carrying, disposing of, or otherwise handling, human excreta in an insanitary latrine or in an open drain or sewer or in a septic tank or a pit”.
• This occupation is linked with caste in India. All kinds of cleaning are considered lowly and are assigned to people from the so-called lowest caste of the social hierarchy.
• The government has caste-related data of 43,797 identified manual scavengers, and over 42,500 of them belong to the Scheduled Castes, 421 to the Scheduled Tribes, and 431 to Other Backward Classes.

Steps taken to address the challenges of Manual Scavenging:

• The Prohibition of Employment as Manual Scavengers and their Rehabilitation Act, 2013- which outlaws all manual excrement cleaning of insanitary latrines, open drains, or pits.
• It also provides a constitutional responsibility to provide alternative jobs and other assistance to manual scavenging communities.
• The 2020 Amendment Bill- proposes to completely mechanize sewer cleaning, 
• The Building and Maintenance of Insanitary Latrines Act of 2013- outlaws construction of unsanitary toilets, and the hiring of persons for their manual scavenging.
• Safaimitra Suraksha Challenge by the Union ministry of Housing and urban affairs – to promote mechanized cleaning and prevent hazardous cleaning of septic tanks. 
• ‘Swachhta Abhiyan Application’ – to identify and geotag the data of insanitary latrines and manual scavengers.
• Constitutional right under article 21 of the constitution which guarantees ‘Right to Life’ and that also with dignity. 

Notified rules by Tamil Nadu government:

• Any person engaged to clean a sewer or a septic tank would have to be provided a list of 44 items of protective gear and safety devices by his employer.
• This includes air line breathing apparatus, chlorine masks, air purifier gas mask, a device for artificial respiration, mask and breathing apparatus, emergency medical kit, hydraulic devices. The list is not limited to those devices mentioned. 
• Regular maintenance of the equipment and devices has also been mandated by the rules.  
• The cleaning of a sewer or a septic tank shall be done “only in day-light” and for a duration not exceeding 90 minutes at a stretch.
• A mandatory interval of 30 minutes between two stretches is to be allowed and after the cleaning process.

Nut Graf: Despite the efforts of courts and governments, law and enforcement have been unable to keep manual scavengers out of harm’s way. Proper implementation of the rules, and adequate monitoring are absolutely essential to address this issue. Simultaneously, all efforts must be taken, within existing schemes, to provide compensation to the family members of those who have died, and to provide them a way out of the profession.

Q1. The four rights guaranteed by Article 26 are subject to which of the following 
restrictions under the constitution?  (Level – Medium)

Q2. Consider the following statements with respect to African Swine Fever (ASF):  
(Level – Difficult)

Q3. With respect to speaker of the Legislative Assembly, which of the following 
statements is/are correct?  (Level – Medium)

Q4. Zorawar recently seen in news is a/an  (Level – Easy)

Q5. Consider the following statements:  (Level – Medium)

I. UPSC Mains Practice Questions

1. Despite a series of laws prohibiting the practice of manual scavenging in India, it still remains a huge problem. Comment. (250 words; 15 marks) (GS II – Social Justice)
2. Achieving the ‘net-zero’ target would be a boon for the economy as well, and not just the environment. Comment. (250 words; 15 marks) (GS III – Economic Development)

Read the previous CNA here.