15 Nov 2022: UPSC Exam Comprehensive News Analysis

B. GS 2 Related

Category: INTERNATIONAL RELATIONS

1. The significance of the Bali G-20 summit

Syllabus: Important international institutions, agencies, fora – their structure, mandate.

Mains: Significance of G20 summit.

Prelims: Bali G20 summit

Context: Seventeenth G20 summit will be held in Bali.

Details:

• The leaders of G-20 countries will gather at the Nusa Dua resort of Bali for the 17th summit. However, the Russian President will not participate in the summit and Russia will be represented by Foreign Minister Sergey Lavrov.
• The summit will focus on post-pandemic recovery and tackling food and energy security that have been severely impacted by the Russian war in Ukraine.

Background Details about G-20:

• G-20 was established in 1999 as an acceptable medium between the elitist G-7 (G-8 earlier) and the Organisation for Economic Co-operation and Development (OECD). 
• It was perceived to be a more unified group and over the years it has become a more representative and egalitarian organization. It has played a crucial role in the global economy, particularly after the global financial crisis and the banking collapse of 2008.
• G-20 countries comprise 85% of the global GDP, 75% of global trade, and 66% of the global population.
• It should also be noted that in the coming year the “Troika” of G-20 will be made up of emerging economies for the first time with India, Indonesia, and Brazil. This indicates a shift towards Global South in the global economic agenda.

Agenda of the Seventeenth G-20 summit:

• The motto for the 17th G-20 summit is: Recover Together, Recover Stronger.
• The representatives of the member countries will engage in discussions over three sessions:
  • Food and Energy Security
  • Health Partnership for Global Infrastructure and Investment
  • Digital Transformation
• Moreover, Indonesian President Mr. Joko Widodo will lead the guests to Taman Hutan Raya (Indonesian Mangrove), that were restored through a 30-year project covering around 700 acres. 
• This is the first G-20 summit after the Russia-Ukraine conflict and consequent western sanctions. Efforts will be made to build a global consensus on the issue.
• This summit is significant for India as Indonesia will hand over the Presidency of G-20 for the upcoming year to India. India will assume Presidency on 1 December 2022. 
• Indian Prime Minister Shri Narendra Modi will also spell out the agenda for the upcoming India’s G-20 presidency. It is speculated that India will focus on the Global South and the problems it is facing due to geopolitical tensions like food and fuel shortages.
• Furthermore, this would be the second time that Chinese President Xi Jinping will travel abroad after the pandemic.

For more information on India’s G-20 presidency, read here: India’s G20 Presidency: Sansad TV Perspective

Attendees of the summit:

• The leaders of Argentina, Australia, Canada, China, the European Union, France, Germany, Italy, Japan, Saudi Arabia, South Africa, South Korea, Turkey, the U.K., and the U.S. will attend the summit in Bali, Indonesia.
• Spain is a permanent invitee. The special invitees of the summit are leaders of Cambodia, Fiji, the Netherlands, Rwanda, Senegal, Singapore, Suriname, and UAE. The Ukrainian President will attend the summit virtually.
• Additionally, heads of several international organizations like the UN, the IMF, ASEAN, and the African Union will attend the 2022 summit. 
• The President of Russia and leaders of Mexico and Brazil (due to the transition in leadership) will not attend the summit.

Nut Graf: The 17th G20 summit is significant as it is the first summit after the Russia-Ukraine conflict. The summit is important also because the world is still reeling from the aftershocks of the pandemic and has burgeoning food and energy security issues. It is vital that world leaders come to a good understanding and prompt cooperation and coordination among all stakeholders. 

E. Editorials

Category: SOCIAL JUSTICE

1. Where no child is left behind

Syllabus: Issues relating to the development and management of education.

Mains: Education initiatives and associated concerns.

Details:

• Human Development Index (HDI) measures a nation’s health, average income, and education. It has positioned India at 132 out of 191 countries in the year 2021.
• The National Education Policy (NEP) of 2020 contains the National Mission on Foundational Literacy and Numeracy that focuses on attaining universal foundational literacy and numeracy in all primary schools by 2025.

For more information on Human Development Index, read here: Human Development Report

Measures taken over the years:

• Shiksha Karmi Project was initiated in 1987 to deal with the issue of teacher absenteeism in remote villages of Rajasthan. A crucial element of the project was the active involvement of the local communities. The project successfully created teachers by training local persons.
• Moreover, the 1990 World Declaration on Education for All at the Jomtien Conference stressed bringing all children to school.
• The Bihar Education Project of the early 1990s gave a fillip to the universalization of primary education. It developed a module called Ujala which provided a 10-day residential in-service training for teachers.
• In 1992 in Rajasthan, the People’s Movement for Education for All (or Lok Jumbish) was launched. It emphasized civil society partnership and innovation. Success was registered in tribal districts but inertia remained in the mainstream population.
• The Supreme Court in the Unni Krishnan v. State Of Andhra Pradesh case (1993) ruled that the right to education for children up to age 14 is central and fundamental. 
• In 1994, the District Primary Education Programme was launched to universalize and transform the quality of primary education. 
• In 2001, Sarva Shiksha Abhiyan was launched. The intent behind it was the universalization of elementary education. It was successful in various aspects like improvement in school infrastructure, uniforms, toilet access, water, textbook availability, and school participation. However, the classroom processes still remain a challenge.

Associated Concerns and Way Ahead: 

• There are systemic challenges in recruiting good teachers and establishing teacher development institutions. The recruitment of teachers, educators, and administrators has to become a priority in order to make a difference in the education system. 
• Efforts need to be focused on community connection and the involvement of parents. Community groups with very high social capital like women’s self-help groups (SHG) can play a crucial role in building the initiative and Panchayats can provide resources. 
• Communities can both enable and discipline teachers if funds, functions, and functionaries are made their responsibility. Moreover,  learning outcomes can be made the responsibility of the local government if the Panchayati Raj Institutions and Ministries of Rural and Urban Development work on the aspects of community connect. This can be a great starting point for achieving the NEP objective.
• It should also be noted that poor governance hampers the effectiveness of teacher development initiatives (both physical and virtual). Large-scale efforts of Pratham’s Read India Campaign and the Azim Premji Foundation to improve government schools also suffer from the poor governance of schools and teachers.
• Despite several innovations by various civil society organizations like Saksham, Gyan Shala, etc.,  the quality of mass education has not improved. 
• An initiative is taken by the Sampark Foundation that can provide some solutions to the existing issues: 
  • The Foundation uses audio battery-operated sound boxes and innovative teaching and learning materials. It has also launched a TV that will help teachers to use lesson plans, content videos, activity videos, etc. to make classes more interactive and joyful. 
  • These technological interventions have the potential to improve teachers’ competency.
• It should be remembered that the time between preschool and Class 3 can be transformational for children. Every stakeholder beginning from the Panchayat level to higher authorities in the Union government should ensure that all children are in school and are learning by 2025.

Also read: NIPUN Bharat Programme

Nut Graf: Foundational literacy and numeracy are essential to prepare a generation of learners. However, despite various measures adopted by the government, there are several issues still persisting in the education system. It is time that all stakeholders from the community level to the topmost authorities converge to improve the quality of education in India.

Category: INDIAN ECONOMY

1. The shape of the Indian economic pie must change

Syllabus: Issues relating to the Indian Economy.

Mains: Economic ideology and associated concerns.

Context: In the backdrop of the Supreme Court’s decision on the Economically Weaker Section, economic inequality has been highlighted in this editorial.

Details: 

• The Court has been approached on matters of both reservation and subsidies (more specifically ‘freebies’).
• A fundamental question that was raised before the court was that an Economically Weaker Section (EWS) quota breached the 50% mark. It was contested whether the opportunities can be reserved for economically weaker persons regardless of their societal status as the Constitution allows affirmative action only for historically disadvantaged castes and communities.

Challenges in the economy:

• The Indian economy is distorted because decent jobs and social security are available to very few people and good education and health care are also not universally available. This further impacts the fair distribution of opportunities and the need for subsidies would further become difficult for both the executive and the judiciary.
• Economic inequalities are on an unprecedented rise in all countries including the richer ones. Moreover, populism is on the rise. On the left, populism has a “socialist” voice and supports all workers, across races and religions, who are unable to earn enough and have little social security whereas, on the right, populism aims to protect racial and religious majorities from immigrants and minorities competing with them for limited economic opportunities.
• The society and economy worked harmoniously together in the earlier centuries (particularly before industrialization). For instance, in Europe society was divided into three classes (a clerical and religious class, a noble and warrior class, and a common, labour class) and in India caste was divided historically on the basis of work.
• The money-owning class was despised as mere moneylenders sucking the value of others’ work in various cultures. International trade and financing of wars provided for the growth of the financial class. Money became the master surpassing welfarism.
• It was suggested by an author that the role of banks and financial institutions was to provide lubrication to the wheels of the economy instead of making large profits for themselves. By the 21st century, the inequalities increased further as a huge share of wealth was sucked into the financial sector.
• The rules of the economy are set by the wealthiest as they influence governments’ policies. The terms of trade between money and labour are set in their favour as they determine the wages and prices of labours and small enterprises respectively. 
• The share of formal jobs in large enterprises, where workers could unite to demand fair treatment from employers, is decreasing in the present scenario.
• India has one of the largest numbers of working-age persons but it also has the lowest employment elasticities thereby making India one of the most unequal societies, both socially and economically. 
  • Employment elasticity means the number of jobs created with each unit of GDP growth. 

Way Ahead:

• The economy should be shaped such that the majority of the population benefits much faster than a tiny minority on top. This would require reforms of both institutions and economic ideology. 
• The Government should respond to the needs of common citizens more in comparison to big business lobbies. 
• Ease of living should drive government policies more than ease of doing business ideology.

Also read: Income Inequality In India: Background, Factors and Conclusion

Nut Graf: Economic inequalities across the world are on the rise and there are demands in the form of reservations and subsidies to address these challenges. The reforms are required both in terms of institutions as well as ideology creating a more equal society.

Q1. Which of the following statements is/are correct with respect to the Right to freedom 
of religion in India? (Level- Medium)

Q2. Consider the following statements with respect to global warming. (Level- Medium)

Q3.  Consider the following statements with respect to mangrove trees.

Q4. Which of the following statements is/are correct about the recently declared 
National Sports Awards? (Level- Difficult)

Q5. The Ninth Schedule was introduced in the Constitution of India during the prime 
ministership of (Level- Medium)

I. UPSC Mains Practice Questions

1. Until India creates enough high quality jobs, there will always be a rush for reservation in jobs. Critically analyze. (250 words, 15 marks) [GS-3, Economy]
2. For the global south to honour their net zero targets, the developed world must own up to their responsibility and finance the fight against climate change. Comment. (250 words, 15 marks) [GS-3, Environment]

Read the previous CNA here.