Maratha Quota Law: Reservation in India (GS-2 Mains)

Maratha Reservation:

• Maharashtra Assembly passed a bill granting 10% reservation for Marathas in education and government jobs.
• Based on the report by Maharashtra State Backward Class Commission (Justice Sunil B Shukre).
• Argues “exceptional circumstances” justify exceeding the 50% reservation limit set by the Supreme Court.

Reservation System in India:

• Existing reservation: SC (15%), ST (7.5%), OBC (27%) for central government jobs.
• EWS category (10%) reservation introduced by 103rd Amendment (2019).
• Many states (Haryana, Tamil Nadu, etc.) have laws exceeding 50% limit, facing legal challenges.

Constitutional Provisions:

• Article 16: Equality for all, with exception for reservations for backward classes.
• Articles 16(4A) & 335: Reservations for SC/ST to improve representation.
• 103rd Amendment: Introduced EWS reservation.

Arguments For Reservation:

• Addresses social injustice; shouldn’t be replaced by economic reservations.
• Fulfills constitutional mandate for substantive equality.
• Promotes representation of SC/ST in higher positions.

Arguments Against Reservation:

• Discourages merit and creates unfair advantage for reserved candidates.
• Economic status should be the criteria, not caste.
• Reservations should be temporary and not for promotions.
• Lowers overall caliber in institutions due to lower cutoffs for reserved candidates.

Way Forward:

• Quotas can lead to discrimination against other communities.
• Policymakers need a balanced approach to reservation policies.

Indira Sawhney Judgement (Mandal Commission Case):

• Backward classes can be identified by caste, not just economic status.
• Upheld 27% quota for backward classes, with a 50% limit for total reservations.
• Reservations only for initial appointments, not promotions.
• Creamy layer exclusion among backward classes.

Maldives Signs Defence Pact with China: Implications for India (GS-2 Mains)

Background:

• Maldives signed a military agreement with China to receive military assistance grants.
• This follows a period of strained relations with India, including:
  • Undiplomatic remarks by Maldivian ministers against India.
  • Request for withdrawal of Indian military personnel.
  • China visit by Maldivian President and call to reclaim top tourist spot from India.
  • Maldivian election campaign rhetoric against India.
  • Decision not to renew agreement on Indian hydrographic survey.

Historical India-Maldives Ties:

• Strong cultural, historical, and economic links for centuries.
• Close cooperation on maritime security, counterbalancing China, and climate change.
• India is a major source of essentials, education, trade, and disaster relief for Maldives.

Significance of Maldives for India:

• Strategic location near India’s coast and trade routes.
• Partner in maritime security, countering piracy and terrorism.
• Opportunity to counterbalance China’s growing influence.

Challenges:

• Political instability in Maldives.
• China’s economic and military influence (debt-trap diplomacy, potential military ambitions).
• Non-traditional threats like piracy, extremism, and climate change.
• Trade imbalance and communication gaps.

Overcoming Challenges:

• Open communication, focus on common interests, and respect for sovereignty.
• Strengthen people-to-people ties and address internal issues.

Way Ahead:

• Both India and Maldives need to address current tensions and cooperate on areas of mutual interest.
• Acknowledge and address challenges to build a stronger, more resilient partnership.

 

Women, Business and the Law 2024 Report (GS-1 & 3  Mains)

World Bank Report on Women’s Economic Opportunity

• Measures laws affecting women’s economic participation in 190 economies.
• Focuses on areas like mobility, workplace, pay, parenthood, and entrepreneurship.

Key Findings:

• Globally, women have only two-thirds (64%) of legal rights available to men.
• Pay gap exists: women earn 77 cents per dollar earned by men.
• Only 44% of legal provisions supporting female entrepreneurship are in place.
• Nationality rights discrimination: women in 28 economies can’t pass nationality to children equally.
• Retirement age gap: women often retire earlier than men and have lower pension benefits.

Significance of Women’s Participation:

• Closing the gender gap in employment could raise global GDP by over 20%.
• Eliminating the gap would double the current global growth rate.

India’s Performance:

• Ranked 113th with a score of 74.4%, a slight improvement but ranking decline from previous years.
• Indian women have 60% of legal rights compared to men, lower than the global average.
• India outperforms South Asian counterparts (45.9% legal protections for women).
• Lowest score in pay gap indicator. Recommendations for improvement include:
  • Mandating equal pay for equal work.
  • Permitting women to work night shifts.
  • Allowing women in industrial jobs.
• India scored higher than global and South Asian averages in supportive frameworks, but childcare needs improvement.

Recommendations from the Report:

• Reform laws and policies to empower women in work and business.
• Improve laws on safety, childcare, and business opportunities for women.
• Establish frameworks to support implementation of gender equality laws.
• Enact legal reforms for equal pay, removing restrictions on women’s work.
• Expand parental leave and prohibit firing pregnant women.
• Prohibit sexual harassment and provide childcare support.
• Implement quotas for women on corporate boards and gender-sensitive procurement processes.
• Ensure equal retirement benefits for women, considering childcare absences.

 

MethaneSAT: Tracking Methane Emissions for Climate Action  (GS-3: Environment)

About MethaneSAT:

• Launched satellite to track and measure methane emissions globally.
• Developed by a consortium including Environmental Defense Fund (EDF) and Google.
• Orbits Earth 15 times a day, focusing on monitoring oil and gas sector.

Why Track Methane?

• Second largest contributor to global warming after CO2.
• Over 20 years, 80 times more potent at warming than CO2 (UNEP).
• Contributes to formation of harmful ground-level ozone.
• Main source: Fossil fuel operations (40% of human-caused emissions).

MethaneSAT’s Capabilities:

• Detects methane concentration differences as low as 3 parts per billion.
• Wide-camera view (200km x 200km) to identify large emitters (“super emitters”).
• Data analysis using Google’s cloud computing and AI.

Benefits:

• Publicly available data to identify emission sources and trends.
• Enables stakeholders and regulators to take action to reduce methane emissions.

 

Prelims

India’s First National Dolphin Research Centre Established

• Inaugurated in Patna, Bihar, to study the endangered Gangetic dolphin.
• Bihar holds nearly half of India’s estimated 3,000 Gangetic dolphins.

Ganges River Dolphin (Susu):

• Scientific name: Platanista gangetica
• Found in Ganges, Brahmaputra rivers & tributaries (India, Bangladesh, Nepal)
• Freshwater habitat; blind, relies on echolocation for navigation and hunting
• Brownish, stocky body; lives in turbulent waters with sufficient fish
• Indicator of river ecosystem health; controls fish & crustacean populations
• National Aquatic Animal (2009); Endangered (IUCN)

Threats:

• Habitat degradation (pollution, construction)
• Accidental deaths in fishing nets (bycatch), poaching

Conservation Efforts:

• Project Dolphin: Tech-driven conservation of dolphins & habitat
• National Dolphin Day (Oct 5th) raises awareness
• Vikramshila Gangetic Dolphin Sanctuary (VGDS) established
• 2016 Wildlife Institute of India Dolphin Conservation Action Plan

 

Shanan Hydropower Project Dispute

• 110 MW hydel project in Himachal Pradesh, leased to Punjab in 1925 by the British.
• 99-year lease expired on March 2, 2024.
• Dispute between Punjab and Himachal Pradesh over control after lease expiry.
• Central government ordered status quo to be maintained.

 

INS Jatayu Commissioned in Lakshadweep

• New Indian Navy base on Minicoy Island for enhanced security.
• Minicoy is strategically located near vital Sea Lines of Communication (SLOCs).
• Second naval base in Lakshadweep after INS Dweeprakshak in Kavaratti.

Lakshadweep Archipelago:

• Group of 36 islands around 400 km west of Kerala.
• Union Territory with 12 atolls, 3 reefs, 10 inhabited islands.
• 3 subgroups: Laccadive, Amindivi, and Minicoy.
• 32 sq km land area but 400,000 sq km Exclusive Economic Zone (EEZ).
• Capital: Kavaratti.