04 Mar 2023: UPSC Exam Comprehensive News Analysis

E. Editorials

Category: POLITY AND GOVERNANCE

1. Clean-tech as the next big thing in rural India

Syllabus: Government policies and intervention.

Mains: Clean Technology in Rural India.

Details:

• Several women from rural India have adopted clean energy-based livelihood technologies to catalyze their businesses. They use technologies like solar refrigerators, silk-reeling machines, biomass-based cold storage, bulk milk chillers, distributed renewable energy, etc.
• According to a study by Council on Energy, Environment, and Water (CEEW), it was found that out of the 13000 early users of clean tech livelihood appliances, around 80% are women.

Also read: IEEFA & Ember Report

Advantages of Distributed Renewable Energy:

• Apart from reducing gender-assigned laborious activities, Distributed Renewable Energy (DRE) helps women farmers and entrepreneurs by increasing income opportunities through mechanization.
• It is expected that by 2030, around 30 million women-owned Micro, small and medium enterprises (MSMEs) will employ nearly 150 million people.
• DRE livelihood technologies have immense potential to transform rural livelihoods, especially for women. For instance, it has a $50 billion market opportunity in India.

Associated Concerns and Measures to boost Distributed Renewable Energy:

• DRE is perceived as a high-risk purchase, particularly among women users as they have a higher starting price and women users have lower risk appetite due to socio-economic reasons. 
  • To address this challenge technology providers should make early users their demo champions/sales agents to market the products and provide credibility.
• It should be remembered that people want to touch and see high-tech and high-ticket-size products.
  • Thus, hyperlocal events and demos should be organized as they create spaces for women to network, become aware of the product and connect with people for procuring, financing, and using these machines.
• Limited avenues to avail financing for clean technology products remain a major challenge.
  • Provisions should be made to enable easy finance.
  • Moreover, technology manufacturers and promoters should also provide facilities for after-sales services and buy-backs.
  • Evidence of the economic viability of the product should be displayed and promoters should offer partial default guarantees.
• Only technology provision is not enough in rural areas. 
  • It is important to support forward and backward market linkages.
  • To generate higher income, it is important to help the producers find and connect to consumption hubs in urban areas.
• Women also struggle due to their limited mobility and networks outside their village.
  • In this case, women can be collectivized or a business model can be established that will allow them to sell to an intermediary and ensure a regular revenue stream.
• It should also be noted that the private sector entities often lack the kind of reach and scale that can be provided by the government.
  • Thus, there should be policy convergence among various ministries and departments.

Also read: National Clean Energy Fund (NCEF)

Nut Graf: In order to clearly unlock the potential of both rural women and clean technology, all stakeholders like policymakers, investors, financiers, technology promoters, and other ecosystem enablers should collaborate.

Category: INDIAN POLITY AND CONSTITUTION

1. Picking the watchdog

Syllabus: Appointment to various Constitutional posts, powers, functions, and responsibilities of various Constitutional Bodies.

Mains: Selection panel of Chief Election Commissioner and Election Commissioner and associated concerns.

Prelims: Procedure for appointment of Chief Election Commissioner (CEC) and Election Commissioners (EC).

Context: Supreme Court’s judgment on the appointment of the Chief Election Commissioner (CEC) and Election Commissioners (ECs).

Know more about the SC judgment on CEC in the linked article.

Details:

• The apex court has ruled that until a law is passed, the Chief Election Commissioner (CEC) and Election Commissioners (EC) will be appointed by a three-member committee comprising the Prime Minister, the Leader of the Opposition in the Lok Sabha, or the leader of the single largest Opposition party, and the Chief Justice of India (CJI).
• The judgment provides a significant boost to the independence of the Election Commission of India (ECI).
• It should be noted that ECI is an important component of the republic that demands functional freedom and constitutional protection to ensure free and fair elections.
• The constitution bench pointed out that the original intent of the Constitution makers was that the manner of appointment of CEC and ECs should be laid down in parliamentary law. However, successive governments have failed to enact a law in this direction.
• Justice K.M. Joseph (the main author of the verdict) said that the Court’s decision is based on “the inertia” of the legislature and the perceived vacuum in the absence of a law.

The article has been covered in detail in the link: UPSC Exam Comprehensive News Analysis. Mar 3rd, 2023

Associated Concerns:

• Several questions are raised on preserving the independence of ECI through the presence of CJI in the selection panel.
• It is argued that there is no clear evidence that the independence of the CBI Director has been preserved or enhanced, who is appointed by a similar selection panel.
• Moreover, the presence of a CJI in the panel would further give pre-emptive legitimacy to all appointments and impact the judicial scrutiny of any error or infirmity in the process.

Also read: Is the Election Commission of India an independent body?

Nut Graf: The Supreme Court’s verdict to choose the Chief Election Commissioner and Election Commissioners is a boost to the independence of the Election Commission of India. However, there are some associated concerns. It is advised that the government should enact a law preserving the independence of the institution.