Class Notes 4 You

RIGHT TO INFORMATION: MASTER KEY TO GOOD GOVERNANCE Significance: Right to information is a tool to make the government more accountable and the right is a basic necessity of good governance. Recommendations for improving the RTI Act: Single Window Portal for disclosure of all public authorities. Training of the Public Information Officers Multimedia campaigns in the local languages Single Window Agency at District Level so as to ease for an applicant to identify the Public Authority and to locate it. On Whistleblowers: The Law Commission, in its 179th report (2001) recommended enactment of Public Interest Disclosure (Protection) Law 2nd ARC fully endorses the view and recommends a suitable legislation to protect whistleblowers  Current Status: 2nd ARC recognizes that there is neglect in the record keeping. On Official Secrets Act (OSA): 2nd ARC recommended that it should be repealed and accommodated under the National Security Act (NSA).  The Shourie Committee (Right to Info...

Regulating social media: Section 69A of IT Act: empowers the group to direct an intermediary to block info for public access in interest of sovereignty, defense, seurity, friendly relations, public order Shreya singhal vs UoI 2015  upheld S69A Prajwala case v/s UoI: SC ordered govt to frame guidelines/SOP - implement them to eliminate child pornography etc Tehseen Poonawalla case 2018 - SC gave govt full freedom to curb dissemination of irresponsible messages on various platforms Regulating OTT: Information Technology (Intermediary Guidelines and Digital Media Ethics Code) Rules 2021 - for digital content on OTT and digital media Admn powers to be with Min of I&B 3-tier governance redressal:  At level of each OTT provider Self-regulatory body collectively estb by OTTs Headed by retired SC/HC judge or independent eminent person would have censuring powers Overriding powers in form of an ‘Oversight mechanism’ with govt. Inter-ministerial committee Safe harbour provision...

The Human Development Report indicates that the growth in the terms of GDP between 1990 to 2020 has been more than 7 times, but since 1990, HDI Value in India has increased from 0.429 to 0.645 registering an increase of merely 50%. Reasons for Consistent High Growth and low Human Development: 1. Inequality: As per Oxfam report, in the last 5 years, 1% of the wealthiest in India has increased their share in wealth by around 60%. 2. Jobless Growth: According to the Periodic Labour Force Survey, the unemployment rates in urban areas for all categories increased by almost three times between 2011-12 and 2017-18. 3. Low Learning Outcomes: According to the ASER Report, 60% of grade-5 students can’t read grade-2 text or recognise numbers beyond 99. 4. Health and Outpatient expenditure: Catastrophic healthcare related expenditure pushes families into debt, and people are meeting their healthcare expenses through some sort of borrowing. 5. Low Skill: According to HDI Report 2020, Barely one in ...

Social development plays a major role in enhancing the capacity of demographic dividend. It reduces stress on human capabilities and brings in human resource formation. In order to bring in social development, the healthcare system has to be revamped and developed. Importance of Maternal Health care: 1. Cognitive and physical development of Infants. 2. Disease to new-born children like sepsis, Meningitis. 3. Different health risk like genetic conditions, STD, Hypertension 4. Infant mortality Rate (283/1000) will be checked. Importance of Health of Elderly: 1. Half of the elderly in India suffer from chronic disease which requires lifelong medication. 2. With age, there is a higher chance of Immunological and psychiatry disorder. 3. The elderly population is projected to reach 19% by 2050 and 71 % of elderly lives in Rural India Suggestions : 1. Geriatric pharmacotherapy to be included in the Undergraduate, PG and Nursing course to understand the impact of drugs on elderly. 2. Utilise N...

SDG seeks to ensure inclusive and equitable quality education and promote lifelong learning opportunities for all by 2030. New education Policy (NEP) calls for the entire education system to be reconfigured to support and foster learning, so that all of the critical targets and goals (SDGs) of the 2030 Agenda for Sustainable Development can be achieved. NEP and SDG are in Congruence: NEP Recognizes, identifies, and fosters the unique capabilities of each student, by sensitising teachers as well as parents to promote each student’s holistic development in both academic and non-academic spheres. Restructuring education system: ● This policy envisages that the extant 10+2 structure in school education will be modified with a new pedagogical and curricular restructuring of 5+3+3+4 covering ages 3-18. ● To check drop outs, Counsellors or well-trained social workers connected to schools/school complexes and teachers will continuously work with students and their parents and will travel throu...

The welfare State plays a key role in the protection and promotion of the economic and social well-being of its citizens by providing proper educational and health facilities. Thus, the health services are not only a moral responsibility of the State, but a major pillar of SDG goal 4. Primary Health a necessary Precondition for Sustainable development : • The Primary health is the part of Universal health coverage which provides preventive, promotive, curative health services. • It is important to check Maternal and Infant mortality as Primary health care services are the first line of resort for mother and newly born child. • Accessible to quality Health services at primary level has potential to check rising malnutrition and its impact on learning capability of children. • Primary health care services provide rehabilitative services also, significant at the time of pandemic and its after impacts. • It is fair and equitable, providing all people with access to essential health service...

The performance and effectiveness of any welfare schemes depends on Policy formulation, implementation and evaluation. Instances of Non-Effectiveness of the schemes : 1. ICDS Scheme: The ICDS program, while successful in many ways, has not made a significant dent in child malnutrition. This is mostly due to the priority that the program has placed on food supplementation, targeting mostly children after the age of three when malnutrition has already set in. 2. Health Insurance schemes: One of the most common misconceptions about buying health insurance is that healthy people don’t need it. The seriousness is felt only while facing a medical contingency. Lack of awareness and involvement in policy process and its effect: 1. Policy Formulation: • Non identification of values of the broader community. • Non identification of areas of disagreement. • Lack of Identification of Priorities of the schemes. • Inadequate analysis of environmental and rehabilitation implications. 2. Policy Implem...

The 73rd & 74th Amendment is called a silent revolution, and Article 243D is said to be the most revolutionary provision which provides for the reservation of one-third of the seats for women in local bodies. Why reservation has had little impact on patriarchal character is evident in following points : ● Leadership issues: The Society, which is controlled and dominated by patriarchal values, recognizing the legitimacy of male domination over social resources, means of production, land and labour etc., turns the gender relation into a scenario of domination and subordination. ● The practice of Sarpanchpatis: The effective political power and decision making are wielded by husbands or other male relatives of elected women representatives. ● The violent nature of politics also has a negative impact on women’s political participation. ● Education and women’s status: The low educational background impedes their effective participation. ● Caste System: Hierarchical caste system in rural...

Improvements were made in numerous sectors in post-independence India that led to the well-being of women in society. Many programmes and strategies were created with the goal of bringing about growth among women. The primary components that encourage women empowerment include encouraging them to obtain education and participate in the labour market. Reasons for persistence of patriarchy: 1. The initial lessons in patriarchy are learned in a family where a man/father is the head of the household. Man is considered the family's head and has power over women's sexuality, labour, reproduction, and mobility.  2. The idea of motherhood is promoted by patriarchal society, which limits women's mobility and burdens them with the responsibility of nurturing and rearing children. 3. These gender stereotypes that women are at a disadvantage and are vulnerable to violence and other kinds of discriminations and injustices. 4. Systemic deprivation and violence against women, such as rap...

Introduction A 'self-governed, peer controlled voluntary Ass of people with similar S-E background who aspire to improve their living stds & address their common problems' Origin—ROSCA (Rotating Savings & Credit Association)—> Gained momentum after 1992 ( SHG Bank Linkage Project) Importance of SHGs Poverty alleviation  & Rural Development — Financial inclusion-- Facilitates access to credit & Micro Finance to poors + SHGs members act as "Banking Correspondent" (Bank Sakhi prog) Provide L ivelihood  (By vocational training, skill development)-- Improved living standards Promotes savings & investments Promotes  Entrepreneurship— self-employment through setting of micro-enterprise Awareness generation + Efficacy in implementation of Govt schemes DAY-NRLM, MGNREGA Social Audits Many +ve externalities ↑ literacy, Nutrition-- Operates PDS shops (MH) ↑ Maternal & Child health-- By implementing ICDS & MDM Better health care, family planning V...

Urbanisation if movement of people from rural to urban areas and the resulting increase of population in urban areas . It is a social process exhibiting lifestyle associated with cities and the desire to acquire the same.  Push factors and pull factors lead to urbanisation Over-Urbanization increased exemplifications of the characters of urbanization in a city or its surrounding rural area results from excessive development of urban traits. Due to the expansion of the range of urban activities and occupations, greater influx of secondary functions like industry, increasing and widespread development of an intricate bureaucratic administrative network, the increased sophistication and mechanization of life and the influx of urban characters into the surrounding rural area, over urbanization gradually replaces the rural and traditionalistic traits of a community. Mumbai and Kolkata are two such examples of cities. Sub-Urbanization When cities get over-crowded by population, it may re...

Niti aayog strategy @75 Urban governance  To transform our cities into economically vibrant and environmentally sustainable habitats that provides equitable access to basic infrastructure, public services and opportunities to all citizens. India’s growing urbanizing needs requires sustainable infrastructure and services for a better quality of life, which can be ensured through modern urban governance key enabler for urban transformation. The government has undertaken various initiatives- Tourism (HRIDAY - Heritage City Development and Augmentation Yojana) Infrastructure (Housing for All, Smart Cities Mission, AMRUT - Atal Mission for Rejuvenation and Urban Transformation) Sanitation (Swachh Bharat Mission) Constraints absence of a modern spatial planning framework, public utility design standards takes a huge toll on economic growth, environmental sustainability and living conditions in the cities. lack of human resource capacities in the urban sphere at all levels. The muni...

Supreme Court sought a reply from the Centre on a PIL (Public Interest Litigation) seeking gender and religion-neutral uniform grounds of succession and inheritance for citizens in the country. Uniform Civil Code (UCC) refers to a single law, applicable to all citizens of India in their personal matters such as marriage, divorce, custody, adoption and inheritance. intended to replace the system of fragmented personal laws Article 44 ‘State shall endeavor to secure a Uniform Civil Code for the citizens throughout the territory of India’ DPSPS Way ahead Evolution of consensus : Effective Information, Education and Communication about the significance of an UCC and Article 44 Reform of personal laws: preserve the diversity of personal laws while ensuring that they do not contradict the fundamental rights. 2018 the Law Commission of India noted that ‘a UCC is neither necessary nor desirable at this stage’ in the country. However, the Commission suggests certain measures in marriage and d...

Supreme Court rejected a plea urging it to re-examine the constitutional validity of Section 124A of IPC, which deals with sedition. Arguments in favour of Sedition It has its utility in combating anti-national, secessionist and terrorist elements: Maoist insurgency and rebel groups who virtually run a parallel administration. It protects the elected government from attempts to overthrow it with violence and illegal means. Continued existence of the government is essential for political stability. If contempt of court invites penal action, the same logic dictates that contempt of government should also attract punishment. Arguments against Sedition Colonial Era law Right to Freedom of expression: Use of Section 124A by the government might go beyond the reasonable restrictions Democratic foundation: Dissent and criticism of the government are essential ingredients of robust public debate in a vibrant democracy and therefore, should not be constructed as sedition. Lower Conviction Rat...