21 Sep 2022: UPSC Exam Comprehensive News Analysis

E. Editorials

Category: INTERNATIONAL RELATIONS

1. Positioning India in a chaotic world

Syllabus: Bilateral, regional, and global groupings and agreements involving and affecting India’s interest.

Mains: India’s transforming foreign policy.

Prelims: Shanghai Cooperation Organisation summit.

Context: Shanghai Cooperation Organisation and India’s changing foreign policy.

Significance of SCO meeting:

• Uzbekistan recently hosted the Shanghai Cooperation Organisation (SCO) meeting in the city of Samarkand. It was a significant meeting as it tested the member states in dealing with current conflicts and trying to adopt a new framework for international relations.
• The special significance of the meeting also lay in the fact that it was taking place when the world is at a crossroads with regard to the Russia-Ukrainian conflict.

For more information on the recent summit, read here: Sansad TV Perspective: SCO Summit, 2022

India’s changed foreign policy:

• India’s presence at the SCO meeting reflects India’s desire to be a part of both blocs, without compromising its relationship with either of them.
• India has adopted a ‘new version’ of non-alignment, where it is steering an independent course for itself, despite having association with rival blocs.
• It is also argued that India’s foreign policy is becoming more passive rather than active. For instance, India’s foreign policy in neighbouring countries like Afghanistan and Sri Lanka looks better on paper than in reality. 

For more information on India’s changed foreign policy, read here: 14 Sep 2022: UPSC Exam Comprehensive News Analysis

Measures Ahead:

• India should deeply introspect before implementing fundamental changes in the non-alignment policy.
• Moreover, India should also consider improving India-China relations in the longer term. India’s foreign policy officials should look for opportunities to strengthen the relationship. One such case/moment can be stalling the Chinese economy. This would moderate China’s aggressive behaviour and provide India with a better position to hold talks.
• Attention should also be given to the growing China-Russia nexus, as it has the potential to hamper the growing warmth between India and Russia.
• It is in India’s strategic interest to give more importance to nuclear aspects as it has remained subdued in foreign policy for a very long time. Nuclear stability is all the more important in the present context where China’s nuclear forces’ sophistication is growing and the relations between China and Pakistan are strengthening.
• It is the need of the hour that India’s foreign policy experts should transform their existing policy constructs and look for wider outreach, as there will be new political challenges in the coming decades. 
• New priorities should be devised without completely ignoring the past inheritance and learnings of managing the rival blocs.

Nut Graf: India is gradually shifting away from its ‘Non-Alignment’ policy. The transformation of India’s foreign policy has become extremely important, as India is at the crossroads of new and old challenges and threats. A major overhaul is also required in the interpretation of regional and international tensions.

Category: SOCIAL JUSTICE

1. Reforms and the task of getting teachers on board

Syllabus: Issues related to development and management of Education.

Mains: Education.

Context: Pilot project of using facial technology app for marking teachers’ attendance.

Details:

• The Andhra Pradesh government has taken a slew of measures to transform the education system in the state.
• The reforms are aimed to ensure an equitable and inclusive classroom environment, and quality education taking into account the diversity of backgrounds and the academic abilities of each individual.
• The intent is to move beyond content retention and focus on problem-solving abilities and critical thinking. This will result in making the learning process more experiential, integrated, holistic, and enquiry-driven. Consequently, it will make education more enjoyable for the children involving them as active participants in the learning process. 
• The government has taken various steps in this regard like the redefinition of the tasks, changes in the training patterns and the professional development of teachers.
• The State has embarked on a new journey in the education system through radical changes in the curriculum, mode of teaching, and school restructuring. 
• The government expects that the teaching staff should transform their traditional approach to teaching academic content in a classroom and should instead target acquiring new skills and abilities. This is in line with the National Education Policy 2020.

Concerns raised by the teachers with these measures:

• The school restructuring programme that requires the merger of classes III to V in primary schools with high schools will result in increasing the school drop-out rate. The reason cited for this is that a large section of students lives in remote rural and tribal pockets of the state. 
• It is also highlighted that the recent government circular on reapportionment of teaching staff would increase the workload in addition to dwindling existing teacher posts.
• Another major cause of concern is the new app-based attendance system for teachers that employs facial recognition technology.
  • The School Education Department has asked the teachers to download the app. Teachers are required to be present on the school premises while recording their attendance, as the Unified District Information System for Education (U-DISE)-linked system is equipped with technology that records metrics like the latitude and longitude of the location. 
  • The app is an integrated one that is also used to register the attendance of students.
  • The teachers are apprehensive of the step and have cited virtual security concerns. Teacher unions across the states are refusing to follow the instructions and boycotting the use of the app. 
  • The Andhra Pradesh Teachers’ Federation (APTF), a teachers’ union has filed a case against the state government in the State High Court. The union has requested direction for repealing the government order.
  • There are demands that the government should provide devices like an Aadhar-enabled biometric attendance system, which was used in the past to mark attendance.
  • Apart from the above concerns, there are issues of poor or no internet connectivity in remote areas.

Government Stance in the matter:

• The Education Department is of the view that technology-driven solutions are required to address the issue of teacher absenteeism. 
• The use of technology will ensure transparency and accountability. There have been many instances of tampering with devices and the manipulation of the attendance system in the past. 

Nut Graf: Teachers play a crucial role in transforming the education system. Thus, it is very important that the government finds a middle ground in such matters. The Government can employ methods like small incentives to motivate teachers and make them equal partners in the journey of education reforms.

2. A blow for dignity

Syllabus: Welfare Schemes for Vulnerable Sections.

Mains: Issues related to LGBTQ+.

Context: Recently, the National Medical Commission (NMC) declared conversion therapy “professional misconduct”.

Details:

• Conversion therapy is a process that involves dangerous and discredited practices that (falsely) claim to change a person’s gender identity and sexual orientation. These methods include:
  • Counselling including religious counselling
  • Correctional rape
  • Exorcisms
  • Forceful starving
  • Electro-convulsion and shock therapy
  • Lobotomy
  • Marriage therapy
  • Aversive stimulation, etc.
• Conversion therapy is declared to be professional misconduct but this is implemented when it is coercive. It is especially popular among the parents of sexual minorities. These parents pressurize their children to identify themselves with the heterosexual norms of society and undergo conversion.
• The Indian law does not contain any immediate provisions for the crime but civil liabilities can be used against the doctors under medical negligence. 
• The Madras High Court in S. Sushma vs Commissioner of Police case (2021) prohibited conversion therapy in Tamil Nadu. HC also suggested action that should be taken against the professionals who are found to be involved in such conversion therapies. The suggestions include the withdrawal of the licence to practice as a penalty.
• The apex medical regulatory body, the National Medical Commission has also directed all State Medical Councils to ban conversion therapy under the Indian Medical Council (Professional Conduct, Etiquette and Ethics) Regulations, 2002.

For more information on conversion therapy, read here: 05 Sep 2022: UPSC Exam Comprehensive News Analysis

Measures Ahead:

• An effective and strict law should be enacted along with the criminalization of practices associated with conversion therapy. This evil practice should be eliminated from India. 
• The Supreme Court can also look at the matter on the sidelines of the Navtej Singh Jauhar case of 2018.

Also read: 06 Sep 2022: UPSC Exam Comprehensive News Analysis: Ban on Conversion Therapy

Nut Graf: Practices like conversion therapy are an attack on the principle of  ‘dignity of individual’ enshrined in the Indian Constitution. Our Constitution has given this fundamental right irrespective of caste, creed, gender, or sexual orientation to each and every citizen of the country. Thus, this inhuman practice needs an urgent ban through legislation.