A petition was filed in the Supreme Court regarding the appointment of members of the Election Commission of India through the collegium system.

Recently a petition was filed in the Supreme Court. This petition demanded that an independent collegium be set up to appoint members of the Election Commission of India- ECI. It is to be noted that this petition was filed by an NGO named ‘Association for Democratic Reforms’.

Independent Collegium required:

• The petition stated that the present process of appointing members of the Election Commission by the Executive in all respects does not coincide with Article-324 (2) of the Constitution, i.e., it is inconsistent with the Constitution.
• On the basis of the appointment of the members of the Election Commission by the Executive i.e. ‘pick and choose’ (Election as per their choice), the Election Commission remains a mere associate of the Executive.
• Democracy is the main feature of our country, in order to ensure free and fair elections and to maintain healthy democracy in our country, an independent Election Commission, which is free from political and executive interference, is urgently needed.

Recommendations of various expert committees:

• The 255^th report of the Law Commission recommended that the Election Commissioners should be appointed by the President in consultation with a three-member collegium and that the three-member collegium would consist of the Prime Minister, the Leader-Opposition in the LokSabha and the Chief Justice of India.
• A fourth report was submitted by the Second Administrative Reforms Commission in January It also recommended the formation of a neutral and independent collegium. It also said that a collegium headed by a Prime Minister should be constituted, which should include the Speaker of the Lok Sabha, the Leader of Opposition in the Lok Sabha, the Law Minister, and the Deputy Chairman of the Rajya Sabha as members.
• In May 1990, Dr. Dinesh Goswami Committee also recommended in its report that for appointment to the Election Commission, neutral officials like Chief Justice and Leader of Opposition should be consulted.
• In 1975, Justice Tarkunde Committee recommended in its report that members of the Election Commission should be appointed by the President in consultation with a committee consisting of the Prime Minister, the Leader of the Opposition in the Lok Sabha, and the Chief Justice of India.

Current system of appointment:

• At present, there is no procedure laid down within the constitution for the appointment of ‘Chief Election Commissioner’ and other Election Commissioners.
• As per tradition, the appointment of ‘Chief Election Commissioner’ and other Election Commissioners is done by the President on the basis of the recommendation of the Prime Minister. Their appointment comes under the executive powers of the President.
• According to Article-324 (5) of the Constitution, The Parliament enjoys the power to regulate the terms and conditions of service of the Election Commission.

Source – Indian Express

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Legislative Council to be set up in West Bengal

Recently a cabinet meeting was organized by the West Bengal government, in which it was decided that a Legislative Council would be set up in West Bengal.

Procedure for constitution of Legislative Council

• To establish the Legislative Council, a Bill is first introduced in the Legislative assembly of the respective state where the Legislative Council is to be constituted. This bill also requires the approval of the Governor.
• It should be noted that earlier in West Bengal, the Legislative Council (Upper House) was also established in the year 1952, which remained in service till
• The constitution, tenure, appointments, elections, privileges, and powers of both houses of the State Legislature have been arranged in the sixth part of the Constitution, from Articles 168 to 212.
• As per the constitution, the Legislative Council in the State Legislature is a permanent assembly in the form of the Upper House.
• As of now, only 6 states, including Andhra Pradesh, Bihar, Karnataka, Maharashtra, Telangana, and Uttar Pradesh have Legislative Councils, with the formation of the Union Territory of Jammu and Kashmir, the Legislative Council has been abolished.
• The tenure of the members of the Legislative Council is 6 years, which is similar to the members of the Rajya Sabha. And 1/3 of the total members retire every two years.

Importance of Legislative Council

• The parliamentary system of India is bicameral, meaning that there is a Lok Sabha in the form of a lower house and a Rajya Sabha in the form of a higher house.
• Similarly, there can be two Houses in the state; they have Legislative Assembly in the form of the lower house, and ‘Legislative Council’ in the form of Upper House. The Legislative Assembly (Vidhan Sabha) is similar to the Lok Sabha of the Center and the Legislative Council (Vidhan Parishad) is similar to the Rajya Sabha of the Center.

Procedure for creation of ‘Legislative Council’

• According to article 169 of the Indian constitution, Notwithstanding anything in article 168, Parliament may by law provide for the abolition of the Legislative Council of a State having such a Council or for the creation of such a Council in a State having no such Council, if the Legislative Assembly of the State passes a resolution to that effect by a majority of the total membership of the Assembly and by a majority of not less than two-thirds of the members of the Assembly present and voting.

Number of Members in the House:

• According to Article 171 clause (1) of the Constitution, the total number of members of the Legislative Council of a State having a Legislative Council shall not exceed one-third of the total number of members of the Legislative Assembly of that State and the members of the Legislative Council of a State total number shall not be less than forty in any case.

Election of Members of Legislative Council:

• 1/3 of the members are elected by the elected members of the Legislative Assembly.
• 1/3 of the members are elected by the state’s municipalities, district boards, and other local institutions.
• 1/12 member, by an electoral college, made up of teachers.
• 1/12 member, by electorate composed of registered graduates.
• The remaining 1/6 members are nominated by the Governor from among eminent persons in the fields of literature, science, arts, cooperative movement, and social service.

Source – The Hindu

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46th Statehood Day of Sikkim

• On May 16, 2021, the 46th Statehood Day of Sikkim was celebrated, on this occasion, the Indian Prime Minister greeted the people of the state.
• On this occasion, the Prime Minister said that “This state is blessed with rich natural beauty and is home to warm-hearted people. Sikkim has made great strides in areas like organic farming. Praying for the state’s continuous growth and for the good health of it’s citizens.”

Merger of Sikkim with India

• India became independent in 1947, but earlier Sikkim was not a state of India. It remained an independent nation until 1974, but after the efforts of the then Prime Minister Indira Gandhi, Sikkim merged with India on 26 April 1975 and Sikkim became the 22nd state of the Indian Union in
• In the Constitution, Sikkim was made part of India as a co-state under the 35^th Constitutional Amendment. After this, Sikkim was granted full statehood status by the 36^th Constitution Amendment.

About Sikkim

• Located in the northeastern part of India, it is a mountain state, its capital is Gangtok. It is the first biological state in the world.
• This state has Nepal in the west, Tibet in the northeast, West Bengal in the south and Bhutan in the southeast.
• It is also located close to the Siliguri Corridor in India. This state comes under the Eastern Himalayas. The climate of this region is alpine and subtropical.
• Sikkim is very famous in terms of biodiversity. The ‘Kanchenjunga’ which is the highest peak of India and the third highest peak in the world is located here.
• Sikkim Kanchenjunga National Park is also located; it has been declared a UNESCO World Heritage Site.
• Sikkim is a major center of tourism in the northeastern region of India because its natural beauty is amazing and political stability is always there.

Source – PIB

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World Press Freedom Day 3^rd May 2021

• On May 3 2021, World Press Freedom Day has been celebrated all over the country.
• This year’s theme of World Press Day is ‘Information as a good public’. This theme emphasizes to view the important information of the press from the perspective of public interest.
• In December 1993, following the recommendation of the UNESCO General Conference, the United Nations General Assembly (UNGA) passed a resolution to observe May 3 as World Press Freedom Day. Since then, it is celebrated annually on 3 May worldwide.
• ‘World Press Freedom Day’ also marks the anniversary of the Windhoek Declaration. ‘The Windhoek Declaration’ is a draft of African journalists for the development of an independent and African pluralistic press.

World Press Freedom Day

• Every year, the purpose of World Press Freedom Day is to spread awareness among the people about the importance of freedom of press and media.
• In the democratic system, the press is considered as the ‘fourth pillar’ of democracy. The press/media is considered to play an important role in ensuring accountability of the government and bringing the voice of common people to the administration. As such, the freedom of media is considered very important for it to work efficiently.
• World Press Independence Day reminds governments of their obligation to respect and uphold the right to freedom of expression as defined under Article 19 of the Universal Declaration of Human Rights – 1948.

Source – The Hindu

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Chandler Good Governance Index (CGGI) 2021 Released

The ‘Chandler Good Governance Index’ (CGGI) -2021 has recently been released by the Singapore-based Chandler Institute of Governance (CIG).

CGGI -2021 has ranked India 49^th in the list of 104 countries, whereas Finland is ranked first, Switzerland second and Singapore third in this list.

Key points:

• In CGGI-2021, India’s neighboring country Sri Lanka is ranked 74^th, Pakistan 90^th and Nepal 92^nd.
• The Chandler Institute of Governance (CIG) is an international non-profit organization that works in the field of good governance.
• The CGGI is an annual index prepared by government professionals to measure the capabilities and effectiveness of governments in 104

The CGGI Index measures the capabilities and effectiveness of national governments around the world on the following seven pillars.

• Leadership and foresight
• Robust laws and policies
• Strong institutions
• Financial stewardship
• Attractive marketplace
• Global influence and reputation
• Helping people rise

Importance

• A good government plays an important role in the development of any country. Through the ‘Chandler Good Government Index’, countries are motivated to provide better public services for citizens and create a positive environment for businesses.
• The Chandler Good Government Index also sets out the tools and framework for effective policy making.

Good Governance

• It gives a vision to the government which is committed to creating a just and peaceful system and protects the human rights and civil liberties of the individual.
• The ‘Goal- 16’ of the Sustainable Development Goal is related to improvement in governance, inclusion, participation, rights and security.

Strive for Good Governance in India

• A Good Governance Index(GGI) is released by the ‘Ministry of Personnel, Public Grievances and Pensions’ in India to assess the status and results of good governance in the country. So that the effect of various actions taken by the Central Government and the State Governments in the public interest can be assessed.
• Good Governance Day is observed every year on 25^thDecember, (Atal Bihari Vajpayee’s birth anniversary). The purpose of which is to create awareness among citizens about accountability of the government.

National e-Governance Plan:

• The main objective of the National e-Governance Plan is to make all government services accessible to the common man through the Public Service Provider Center and to ensure efficiency, transparency and reliability in these services to meet the basic needs of the common people.
• The Right to Information Act of 2005 plays an effective role to ensure transparency in governance.
• In addition, the establishment of NITI Aayog, Make in India and Lokpal etc. has laid the foundation for a good governance in India.

Source – The Hindu

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National Panchayati Raj Day program organized

National Panchayati Raj Day and Local Self-Governance Day have been observed on 24 April.

The National Panchayati Raj Day is organized every year by the Government of India on 24 April. This day is also known as National Local Self Government Day.

Key points

• On this occasion, the Prime Minister has launched the ‘SVAMITVA Scheme’ across the country by distributing e-property cards to 09 lakh property owners under the ‘SVAMITVA Scheme’ through video conferencing.
• Rashtriya Panchayat Awards 2021 were also presented on the occasion. The awards have been conferred under the following categories, including:

1. DeenDayalUpadhyayPanchayatSashaktikaranPuraskarto224
2. Nanaji Deshmukh National Gaurav Gram SabhaPuraskarto30 Gram Panchayats.
3. Gram Panchayat Development Scheme Award to 29 Gram Panchayats.
4. Child-friendly Gram Panchayat Award to 30 Gram Panchayats.
5. e-panchayat awards to 12

• In this program, Deen Dayal Upadhyay Panchayat Sashaktikaran Puraskarwas given to the District Panchayat Shamli after being elected the best District Panchayat.
• Under the award, a citation and an amount of Rs50 lakh was awarded to Shamli District Panchayat.
• On the occasion of National Panchayati Raj Day, the scheme of giving free ration under the Pradhan Mantri Garib Kalyan Yojana has been extended for two months (May and June).

Beginning of Panchayati Raj Day:

• The National Panchayati Raj Day in India was announced in 2010 by Prime Minister Manmohan Singh. Since then, Panchayati Raj Day is being celebrated every year on 24
• It should be noted that the 73rd Constitutional Amendment of the Constitution (which was related to the grant of constitutional status to the Panchayati Raj system) was implemented only on 24

73rd Constitution Amendment 1992

A new Part IX has been added to the Constitution only under the 73^rd Constitutional Amendment 1992. These are from Articles 243 to 243 (O). A new eleventh schedule has also been included.

Source – PIB

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48th Chief Justice of India : Justice N.V. Raman 

President of India Ramnath Kovind administered the oath to Justice NV Raman. His tenure will be only about 16 months.

He has replaced Chief Justice S. A.Bobde. Justice Bobde was relieved on April 23.

Justice N.V. Raman

NV Raman was born on August 27, 1957 in Ponnavaram village in Krishna district, Andhra Pradesh, into a farming family.

Prior to his elevation to the Supreme Court on February 17, 2014, Justice Raman was the Chief Justice of the Delhi High Court.

Appointment process of judges in the constitution:

• Article 124 (2) of the Indian Constitution provides for the appointment process of judges.
• According to Article 124 (2), the judges of the Supreme Court are appointed by the President after consulting the judges of the Supreme Court and the High Courts of the States (whom the President considers appropriate).
• Similarly, the procedure for appointment of judges of High Courts in states is provided in Article 217 of the Constitution.
• As per the provisions of Article 217, the Chief Justice of the High Court is appointed by the President of India after consultation with the Chief Justice of the Supreme Court and the Governor of the State concerned.
• Apart from the Chief Justice of the High Court, a Judge other than the Chief Justice of the High Court is appointed after consultation with the Chief Justice of the High Court.

Chief Justice of India

• In relation to the Chief Justice of the Supreme Court, the outgoing Chief Justice recommends the name of his successor.
• But after this process came into controversy after the year 1970, now the seniority order has started to be considered as the basis in its practical form.

Source – PIB

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World Press Freedom Index 2021 released

Recently, the World Press Freedom Index 2021, covering 180 countries, has been released. In which India is ranked 142. Earlier India was also ranked 142 in 2020.

The World Press Freedom Index is released every year by “Reporters Without Borders” (RSF), a non-profit organization of international journalism.

The first edition of ‘World Press Freedom Index’ released by RSF was published for the first time in the year 2002.

Key points:

• Norway ranks first in this index. Even before this, Norway has been in the first place for five consecutive years. Finland is ranked second in the index and Denmark is ranked third.
• The country of Eritrea is ranked at the lowest (180th) position in this index, followed by China, Turkmenistan and North Korea at 177^th, 178^th, and 179^th, respectively.
• It should be noted that India is doing worse than its neighbors in this index. Nepal, Sri Lanka and Bhutan rank 106th, 127th and 65th respectively in this index. While Pakistan is ranked 145

Reasons behind India’s poor performance:

• The report attributed the fear-mongering atmosphere created by the government, often terming them as anti-state or anti-national.
• Several incidents of harassment of journalists by police and paramilitary forces have been reported in Kashmir.
• Plurality of attacks on journalists and police violence against journalists, victimization by political activists and punishment by criminal groups or corrupt local authorities

Source – The Hindu

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National Civil Services Day

National Civil Services Day in India is observed every year on 21 April. The day is celebrated with the aim of inspiring the efforts and actions of civil servants.

Awards

On this day, Prime Minister’s Awards for Excellence in Public Administration are presented to Districts/Implementing Units for implementation of Priority program and innovations in different categories. The award ceremony provides a platform for civil servants to engage with others and learn the good practices being implemented across the country in the field of public grievances.

Administrative service in the constitution

• A provision has been made in Article 312 of the Constitution for the creation of one or more All India Services for the Union and the State.
• Article 312 provides for the formation of the Indian Administrative Service and the Indian Police Service.
• After the constitution came into force, a new All India Service i.e. Indian Forest Service was created in the year

Significance:

Sardar Patel called the Indian Administrative Service the “steel frame” of India’s government machinery. They work tirelessly for the smooth functioning of public administration; therefore, such programs are very important to honor their works.

Source – PIB

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Mandatory Gold Hallmarking in India

Recently, the Government of India announced that from June 1, 2021, the mandatory hallmarking system will be implemented for gold artifacts and jewelry. Currently, gold hallmarking in the country is voluntary.

Key Points:

• India is the world’s biggest importer of gold, with annual imports of nearly 700-800 tonnes.
• Gold Hallmarking provides purity certificates to gold jewelery and artifacts.
• Under the new rules, only three categories of jewelery will now be hallmarked – 14-carat, 18-carat and 22- Formerly, 10 categories of gold jewelery were hallmarked
• This new system will also be available to consumers who are interested in hallmarking their old jewelery.

Reasons for Gold Hallmarking:

• The compulsory hallmarking of gold will protect the public against the low carat category. This will ensure that consumers are not cheated.
• It will remove corruption in the system of jewelry manufacturing and bring transparency.
• The BIS Act 2016 has enabled the provisions under Section 14 and Section 16 for compulsory hallmarking of gold jewelry and artifacts by the Central Government; this made it mandatory for all jewelers selling gold jewelry and artifacts to register with BIS and sell only hallmarked gold jewelry and artifacts.

Bureau of Indian Standards (BIS):

The Bureau of Indian Standards is the national standard body of India established under the BIS Act 2016 for harmonized development of activities such as standardization of goods, quality certification and marking.It is headquartered in New Delhi.

Source – Live Mint

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Aahaar Kranti : A mission aims to address nutritional awareness in society

Recently the Union Health Minister launched the “Aahaar Kranti”, which aims to spread the message of the need for a nutritionally balanced diet and to understand the importance of access to all local fruits and vegetables.

Aahaar Kranti Mission

• Vigyan Bharati and Global Indian Scientists and Technocrats Forum (GIST) have started this mission with the motto of “Good Diet-Good Cognition”.
• The “Aahaar Kranti” aims to find a solution to the problem of hunger and diseases in abundance in India.
• Significantly, India produces twice as many calories than it consumes, but still many people in the country are still malnourished. The reason for this problem is the lack of awareness regarding nutrition in Indian society in general.
• A nutritionally balanced diet is even more needed during the time of the COVID-19 pandemic, while a healthy body can fight this virus with high disease resistance and high endurance.
• In addition, the United Nations also declared 2021 as the International Year of Fruits and Vegetables.In addition, the United Nations’ Sustainable Development Goal-3 also emphasizes human welfare, which, according to it, “to ensure health and well-being for all, at every stage of life.”
• India has a unique knowledge of Ayurveda, so the “Aahaar Kranti” will try to use the country’s rich knowledge of Ayurveda-based nutrition.

Source – PIB

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Sushil Chandra appointed as 24^th Chief Election Commissioner

The President of India has recently appointed Shri Sushil Chandra as the Chief Election Commissioner in the Election Commission of India.

It may be noted that after the release of Election Commissioner Sushil Arora on April 12, 2021, Mr. Sushil Chandra has taken charge as the Chief Election Commissioner, on April 13, 2021.His appointment has been made on the basis of seniority, as Mr. Sushil Chandra was the senior most Election Commissioner in the Election Commission of India.

The Election Commission of India

• The Election Commission in India is a constitutional body. It was established on 25 January 1950.
• In accordance with the rules and regulations mentioned in the Indian Consitution, The Election Commission conducts the election procedures of Union and State. It conducts election of Rajya Sabha, Lok Sabha, State assemblies, President and Vice President in the country.
• Part 15 of the constitution deals with elections, in which provision has been made for the creation of an Election Commission for conducting elections.
• Article 324 – 329 refer to the provisions related to the powers, functions, tenure, eligibility etc. of the Election Commission and their members.
• The term of the Chief Election Commissioner is up to the age of 6 years or 65 years (whichever is earlier). The President has the power to elect the Chief Election Commissioner and other Election Commissioners on his advice.
• They receive the same salary and allowances as judges of the Supreme Courts. The Chief Election Commissioner can be removed by the President only on the grounds of ‘proven misbehavior or incapacity’(as per the manner of removal of the judges of the Supreme Court) by the Parliament.
• Other commissioners cannot be removed from their posts without the recommendation of the Chief Election Commissioner.

Structure of the Election Commission

• Initially, the Election Commission originally had a provision for only one Election Commissioner, but after a Presidential notification on October 16, 1989, two additional commissioners were appointed and made it a three-member body.
• This rule remained in existence till January 1, 1990. After this, it was again made a one-member commission, but again on October 1, 1993, two additional election commissioners were appointed to the commission and this structure has been functioning since then. Currently, it consists of a Chief Election Commissioner and two other Election Commissioners.
• The Commission has the power to restrict candidates who fail to present their election expenses before the Commission within the stipulated time and in the manner prescribed by the
• Under Article 103, the President consults the Election Commission regarding the disqualifications of members of Parliament.
• The Governors of the states, under Article 192, consult the Election Commission regarding the disqualifications of the members of the State Legislature.

Source – PIB

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Person above 18 years free to choose religion: Supreme Court

Recently, during the hearing of a case, the Supreme Court has said that a person above the age of 18 years is free to choose his religion. The Supreme Court gave this statement while refusing to hear a petition related to black magic and forced conversion.

Petitioner’s argument:

• This petition was filed by advocate AshwiniUpadhyay. The petition stated that a law is needed to prevent forcible conversion and the use of black magic for this.
• The victims of such conversions come from the afflicted and poor sections, mostly socially and economically backward class people, especially those belonging to the Scheduled Castes and Scheduled Tribes.
• The petition said that the practice of superstition, black magic and illegal conversion in this way violates Articles 14, 21 and 25 of the Constitution.

Comment of the Court:

• A bench of Justices RF Nariman, Justice BR Gavai and Justice Hrishikesh Roy, while commenting on the plea, said that anyone over the age of 18 has the right to choose his religion, and the constitution of the country gives them these rights.
• Religious faith is a part of the fundamental right to privacy. Article 25 of the constitution gives freedom to conscience and to freely practice, conduct and propagate religion.
• Every citizen is the ultimate decision-maker in choosing the religion of their choice and choosing a life-partner of their choice. The court cannot pass judgment on a person’s choice regarding religion or life partner.
• The decision of the Constitution Bench has described ‘right to privacy’ as ‘right to life, dignity and liberty’, and said that it does not violate any of its rights.
• On this petition filed under Article 32, the Court said that, this petition is just ‘Publicity Interest Litigation’, if it is not withdrawn, it will be fined.

Source – Indian Express

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National Register of Citizens (NRC)

Currently in the Assam assembly elections, the issue of National Register of Citizens (NRC) has come to prominence as more than 19 lakh applicants out of 3.29 crore applicants have been left out of the final list of registers. In this case, the Center has directed the Assam government that a “rejection slip” should be issued immediately to those who were excluded from the last National Register of Citizens published in 2019.

Background:

• Being a border state with serious problems like illegal migration, a register of citizens was created for the state of Assam in 1951 based on the 1951 census data.
• The Illegal Migrants (Determination by Tribunal) Act, 1983 was passed by the Parliament to create a separate authority for the identification of illegal migrants in Assam, but the Supreme Court declared it unconstitutional in 2005, after which the Government of India agreed to renew the Assam NRC.

National Register of Citizens

• The National Register of Citizens (NRC) is a register of all Indian citizens whose creation has been authorized by The Citizenship (Amendment) Act, 2003.
• It was first implemented in the state of Assam in 2013-2014 and is the only Indian state where it has been implemented. It covers only those Indian citizens who have been residents of Assam State since before March 25, 1971.
• Till now NRC is applicable only in those states of India which have border with other countries, because there are many problems of illegal migration from there, but the Government of India plans to implement it in the rest of the country in the year 2021.
• The Registrar General and Census Commissioner of India serves as the nodal agency for the NRC.

Impact:

• As a result of its renewal, there will be a decline in the number of illegal migrants from Bangladesh to Assam.
• With this, certificates will be made available to all legal citizens of India, so that illegal migrants can be identified and deported.
• The fear of imprisonment and deportation, if residing in Assam without an NRC certificate, will prevent illegal migration.
• This can make it more difficult for illegal migrants, to purchase Indian identity documents, and to take advantage of all the rights and benefits that Indian citizens receive.

Challenges:

• With the help of the NRC’s parallel process, Election Commission voter list and Assam Border Police, foreigners’ tribunals have created chaos, as none of these agencies are sharing information with each other.
• There is uncertainty about the future of those not included in the list.
• India cannot send illegal migrants back to Bangladesh without a formal agreement.
• Working permit could be another option, which would give them limited legal rights to work, but there is no clarity about the future of such persons’ children.

Source – The Hindu

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The National Commission for Allied and Healthcare Professions Bill 2020

The National Commission for Allied and Healthcare Professions Bill, 2020, was passed by a voice vote in Lok Sabha. Replying to a debate on the Bill, Union Health Minister said that the legislation is aimed at fulfilling long-pending demands for the sector.

Key Points:

• An Allied health professional includes an associate, technician or technologist who is trained to perform any technical and practical task to support. Such professional should have acquired a diploma or degree under this Bill, (minimum2,000 hours spread over a period of 2-4 years).
• A healthcare professional consists of a scientist, physician or other professional who studies, advises, researches, supervises preventive, curative, rehabilitation, therapeutic or promotional health services. Such professionals should have acquired a degree, the duration of which should be minimum 3,600 hours spread over a period of 3-6 years under this bill.

The National Commission for Allied and Healthcare Professions:

It will consist of –

• Chairperson,
• Vice Chairperson,
• Five members, representing various departments / ministries of the Central Government,
• A representative of the Directorate General of Health Services,
• Three Deputy Directors or Medical Superintendents,
• 12 part-time members representing state councils.

Functions:

• Creating and properly maintaining an online central register of all registered professionals.
• Draft Policy and standards formation to regulate education and practice.
• Within 6 months of the passage of this Bill, the State Governments shall constitute the “State Allied and Healthcare Council”. This new institution will complement the functioning of the National Commission and maintain the State Register.
• Prior permission from the State Council will be required to establish a new institution, start new courses, increase admission capacity, or enroll a new batch of students in existing institutions.

Offences and Penalties:

Chapter VII of the Bill deals with crimes and punishments. It stipulates that no person is permitted to practice as a qualified allied and health care practitioner who is not enrolled in the State Register or the National Register. Any person who violates this provision will be punished with a fine of Rs. 50,000.

Source – The Hindu

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Sixth Schedule of the Constitution for the Protection and Autonomy of Tribal Communities

The Constitution (125th Amendment) Bill, 2019, was introduced in the Rajya Sabha in January 2019, to amend the provisions related to the Finance Commission and, the Sixth Schedule of the Constitution. The Ministry of Home Affairs confirmed the Lok Sabha that “at present, there is no proposal to implement the Panchayat System in the ‘Sixth Schedule Areas’ of Assam”.

The Sixth Schedule deals with the administration of tribal areas in the states of Assam, Meghalaya, Tripura and Mizoram. So far, 10 autonomous councils are present in Assam, Meghalaya, Tripura and Mizoram.

Key Points:

Sixth Schedule of the Constitution:

• The Sixth Schedule of the Constitution was originally intended for the tribal areas of Assam, which was classified as “Excluded Areas” under the Government of India Act, 1935. It was under the control of Governor.
• It provides for the administration of tribal areas in Assam, Meghalaya, Mizoram and Tripura to protect the rights of tribes in these states.  This special provision is provided under Article 244 (2) and Article 275 (1) of the Constitution of India.
• It provides autonomy in the administration of these areas through Autonomous District Councils (ADCs).
• Autonomous district councils have the right to legislate in areas under their jurisdiction, which cover land, forest, farming, heritage, indigenous customs and traditions of tribal, and related to collecting land revenue and some other taxes.
• ADCs are like miniature form having specific powers and responsibilities in respect of all the three arms of governance.

Autonomous Districts and its composition:

• The governor has the power to organize and reorganize autonomous districts. Thus, he can increase or decrease areas or rename or define boundaries of particular autonomous district. If there are many tribes in an autonomous district, the governor can divide the district into several autonomous regions.
• Each autonomous district has a Zilla Parishad consisting of 30 members, four of whom are nominated by the Governor and the remaining 26 are elected on the basis of adult suffrage for five years.

Constitution (125^thAmendment) Bill, 2019:

In January 2019, the Union Cabinet approved amendments to enhance the financial and executive powers of autonomous councils. The Constitution (125^thAmendment) Bill, 2019 was later introduced in the Rajya Sabha in February 2019.The bill which is still active for elected village municipal councils, proposes that the State Election Commission conduct elections for autonomous councils, villages and municipal councils.

Source – The Hindu

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The Government of NCT of Delhi (Amendment) Bill 2021

After Lok Sabha, Rajya Sabha also passed The Government of NCT of Delhi (Amendment) Bill, 2021. The bill defines certain roles and rights of the Lieutenant Governor of Delhi (LG).

Background:

• Article 239AA of the Constitution of India granted special status to Delhi in 1991 through the 69th Constitutional Amendment.
• The 69th Constitutional Amendment provided Delhi with a system of a Legislative Assembly and a Council of Ministers. The Council of Ministers was made responsible to the Legislative Assembly and empowered to deal with the concerns of the citizens.
• The recently passed “Government of NCT of Delhi (Amendment) Bill, 2021” is against Article 239AA.

Key Points of the bill:

• “Government” to mean “Lieutenant Governor (LG)”: The word ‘Government’ referred to in any law to be made by the Legislative Assembly of Delhi shall mean the Lieutenant Governor (LG).
• Necessarily Granted a special opportunity to Lieutenant Governor: This bill seeks to ensure that the LG is “necessarily granted an opportunity” to give her/his opinion before any decision taken by the Council of Ministers is implemented.
• Expansion of LG’s discretionary powers: The Bill gives LG discretionary powers even in case where the Legislative Assembly of Delhi has the authority to legislate.

Court’s ruling related to this issue:

Government of NCT of Delhi vs. Union of India (2018):

• The court said that the Council of Ministers should keep the Lieutenant Governor informed of its decisions. In its 2018 verdict, the five-judge Bench has held that the LG’s concurrence is not required on issues other than police, public order and land, along with this the LG, was bound by the aid and advice of the council of ministers.
• The court also said that the position of Lieutenant Governor of Delhi is not the same as that of the Governor of any other state, but in a limited sense, he is the administrator who is in charge of the Lieutenant Governor.
• It has also been pointed out that the elected government has to keep in mind that Delhi is not a state.

Shamsher Singh & Anrvs State Of Punjab:

In this case, the court gave the following argument that it is not right to give excessive authority to a person like Lt. Governor;

• After this, election will not have any meaningful value.
• The voice of the Citizens will go unrecognized. Reason is that, elected representatives chosen by the citizens are not given appropriate power to perform their duty.
• It is against the concepts of “Pragmatic and Collaborative federalism”.

Government of National Capital Territory of Delhi Act, 1991:

• The current status of Delhi as a union territory with an assembly is a result of the 69th Amendment Act, through which Articles 239AA and 239BA were introduced in the Constitution.
• It is an Act to supplement the provisions of the Constitution relating to the Legislative Assembly and a Council of Ministers for the National Capital Territory of Delhi and for matters connected therewith or incidental thereto.
• The Government of National Capital Territory of Delhi Act, 1991Act outlines the powers of the Assembly, the discretionary powers enjoyed by the LG, and the duties of the Chief Minister of Delhi with respect to the need to furnish information to the LG.

Source – PIB

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Prime Minister’s address from the forum of The Coalition for Disaster Resilient Infrastructure (CDRI)

Recently, the Prime Minister addressed the opening ceremony of the International Conference on Disaster Resilient Infrastructure (ICDRI) through video conference.

The ICDRI is an annual international conference on Coalition for Disaster Resilient Infrastructure (CDRI), in partnership with member countries, organizations and institutions to strengthen global discourse on disaster and climate resilient infrastructure.

Key points:

• “The Coalition for Disaster-Resilient Infrastructure (CDRI)” is a multi-stakeholder global partnership of national governments, UN agencies and programs, multilateral development banks and financing mechanisms, the private sector and knowledge institutions is a multi-stakeholder global partnership of national governments, UN agencies and programs, multilateral development banks and financing mechanisms, the private sector and knowledge institutions.
• Thematic Areas: Governance and Policy, Risk Identification and Assessment, Standards and Certification, Capacity Building, Innovation and Emerging Technology, Recovery and Reconstruction, Finance and Community Based Approaches.
• It aims to promote the flexibility of new and existing infrastructure systems for climate and disaster risks in support of sustainable development.
• CDRI Secretariat is located in New Delhi, India.
• Members: 22 countries and 7 organizations in total.

Benefits and importance of CDRI:

• The Sendai Framework for Disaster Risk Reduction (SFDRR), highlights the role of flexible improved infrastructure as a cornerstone for sustainable development.
• This initiative will benefit all sections of the society
• Economically weaker sections of society, women and children, are the most vulnerable to the effects of disasters and, therefore, will benefit from the improvement of knowledge and practice in creating disaster resilient infrastructure.
• It will also benefit all areas with high disaster risk.
• In India, it was helpful in diagnosing the problem of earthquakes in the north-eastern and Himalayan regions, cyclones and tsunamis in coastal areas and drought hazards in the central peninsular region.
• CDRI increases India’s soft power, but more importantly, it means more than just economics, which provides sustainable and inclusive development in the form of synergy between Disaster Risk Reduction, Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs) and, Climate Accord.
• Creates opportunities for Indian infrastructure and technology firms to expand services abroad.

Why do we need a global alliance?:

• Many countries, including India, have developed strong disaster management practices over the years, which have helped to rapidly reduce the number of human casualties in a disaster. However, the economic cost of a disaster would have been huge, mainly due to damage to large infrastructure.
• A Global Alliance for Disaster Resilient Infrastructure will address concerns that are common between developing and developed countries, small and large economies, countries with early and advanced stages of infrastructure development, and common or high disaster risk countries.

Source – PIB

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Vehicle Scrappage Policy

The vehicle scrappage policy was initiated by the Finance Minister in the Union Budget 2021-22. The Transport Ministry announced the vehicle scrappage policy recently following a move to impose a green tax on old and polluting automobiles. The move promises economic benefits, a clean environment and thousands of jobs.

Policy objectives:

• The policy aims to create an ecosystem to reduce pollution, and to get out of our old and, unfit vehicles that cause pollution.It also has to improve the safety of roads and vehicles in the country. This is expected to give an impetus to the automobile industry, which was already down before the COVID-19
• In the long run, the policy is expected to increase the fuel efficiency of vehicles, increase the availability of low-cost raw materials for the automotive, electronics and steel industries, and increase the government’s Goods and Services Tax (GST) revenue. The plan currently seeks to formalize the informal vehicle scraping industry.

Provision of vehicle Scrappage policy:

• The policy provides for scrap commercial vehicles over 15 years old and, for private vehicles over 20 years old.
• The policy will first start with commercial vehicles and, later, will be extended to private vehicles.
• Older vehicles must pass a fitness test before re-registration.
• The old vehicles will be tested at Automated Fitness Centers and the fitness testing of the vehicles will be done as per international standards.
• To encourage scraping of older vehicles, the policy proposes a lower GST of 5%.Or In lieu of 28% on commercial vehicles, a complete rebate is currently levied on commercial vehicles and those carrying more than 10 persons.
• All government and PSU owned vehicles will be de-registered after 15 years.
• With a scraping certificate, one can also avail a 5 percent manufacturer-discount and, while purchasing a new vehicle, can also get a waiver in the registration fee.
• From April 1, 2022, the policy for government vehicles will come into force.
• Compulsory fitness testing for heavy commercial vehicles will begin from 1 April 2023.
• For all other categories of vehicles, including private vehicles, it will start in phases from June 1, 2024.

Other initiatives to prevent vehicle pollution:

• National Electric Mobility Mission: 2020
• Fame India Scheme: Phase2
• Delhi Government Electric Vehicle Policy
• Hydrogen Fuel Cell Electric Bus Project

Source – PIB

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Presidents Power to Pardon (Article 72)

Mohammad Taj, the 12-year-old son of the death row convict Shabnam Ali, has urged President Ram Nath Kovind to commute the death sentence of his mother.

Shabnam was sentenced to death for killing her seven family members including a baby in 2008 as they opposed her relationship with her paramour in Amroha district of Uttar Pradesh. Shabnam could be the first-ever woman convict to be hanged in independent India. The woman is currently lodged in Rampur jail.

Presidents powers to pardon

Under Article 72 of the Constitution, the President shall have the power to grant pardons, reprieves, respites or remissions of punishment or to suspend, remit or commute the sentence of any person convicted of any offence where the sentence is a sentence of death.

In the Constitution, no provision has been made to question the validity of the decision relating to the mercy jurisdiction of the President or the Governor.

Pardon: It removes both the sentence and the conviction and completely absolves the convict from all sentences, punishments and disqualifications.

Commutation: It denotes the substitution of one form of punishment for a lighter form. For example, a death sentence may be commuted to rigorous imprisonment, which in turn may be commuted to a simple imprisonment.

Remission: It implies reducing the period of sentence without changing its character. For example, a sentence of rigorous imprisonment for two years may be remitted to rigorous imprisonment for one year.

Respite: It denotes awarding a lesser sentence in place of one originally awarded due to some special fact, such as the physical disability of a convict or the pregnancy of a woman offender.

Reprieve: It implies a stay of the execution of a sentence (especially that of death) for a temporary period. Its purpose is to enable the convict to have time to seek pardon or commutation from the President

Comparison of pardon powers of President and Governor:

The Presidents pardon powers extend to matters relating to the punishment or court martial awarded by the Army Court, whereas, under Article 161, the Governor has no such power.

The President may grant pardon in all matters relating to the death penalty whereas; the Governor’s pardoning power does not extend to the matters relating to the death penalty.

Source – Indian Express

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Breach Of Privilege

Notice of breach of privilege has been given by BJP MP PP Chowdhary in the Lok Sabha against TMC MP Mahua Moitra for a comment against the Chief Justice of the Supreme Court.

Related Case:

Speaking during the “Motion of Thanks” on the President’s address, MP Mahua Moitra had made some objections regarding the conduct of the judge. So the question is whether on the floor of the House, the conduct of a judge can be discussed or not? Be aware that, in Article 121 of the Constitution, it is prohibited to accuse any current or former judge.

What is the privilege?

The subjects of privilege in the Indian Constitution are derived from the Constitution of England. An MP / MLA, apart from being a public representative, are also a lawmaker. Considering the importance and loyalty of these posts, the Constitution has given them some privileges. The provision of privilege has been made under Article 105 of the Constitution and Section 1 and Section 2 of Article 194.

Constitutional provisions relating to privileges:

• Under Article 105 of the Constitution, the privileges/immunities enjoyed by the members and committees of the Indian Parliament are mentioned.
• Article 194 deals with the powers, privileges and immunities of the State Legislatures, their Members and their committees.
• It is made clear in the Constitution that these are independent provisions. If a House removes a part of a dispute from proceedings, no one will be able to publish that part. And if that happens, it would be considered contempt of Parliament or the Legislature. Doing so is a punishable offense. In this circumstance, the basic right to freedom of speech under Article 19 (a) will not be argued.
• However, the Supreme Court later clarified that, even though the privilege cases are free from the shackles of Article 19 (a), they will be considered under Article 20-22 and Article 32.

How Breach of Privilege starts?

Rule 222:

Under Rule 222 of the Lok Sabha, any member may raise any question with the permission of the Speaker, in which he feels that the privilege of a member or the assembly or committee has been violated.

What is ‘breach of privilege’?

• Generally any act which, directly or indirectly, obstructs or impedes the work of a House of Parliament, or obstructs the discharge of the duties of a member or officer of Parliament, is considered as a breach of privilege.
• Speeches objecting to the House, its committees or members, questioning its impartiality or character in observance of the duties of the Speaker, condemning the conduct of members in the House, false publication of the proceedings of the House, etc., will be considered as a violation / contempt of the privileges of the House.
• A Privileges Committee is constituted by the Speaker or Chairman of the House, which consists of 15 members in the lower house and 11 members in the upper house.
• Members of the committee are nominated based on the number of parties in the House.
• The first decision is taken by the Speaker or Chairman. Prima facie, in case of breach of privilege or contempt, the case is referred to the Committee of Privileges by following the procedure laid down by the Speaker or the Chairman.
• The committee will examine the contempt of the state legislature and its members and the effect on the image in front of the public, from the statements made by the accused person.
• The committee enjoys quasi-judicial powers and can seek clarification from all concerned, and after conducting the test, and On the basis of its findings after investigation, it can make a recommendation before the legislature on the subjects to be considered.

Source – The Hindu

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Transparency International – Corruption Perception Index Report 2020

Recently Corruption Perception Index 2020 prepared by international non-governmental organization “Transparency International” has been released.

What is the Corruption Perception Index?

• It is a composite index based on 12 surveys to rank the countries of the world in the field of corruption.
• Since its founding in 1995, the Corruption Perception Index has become the leading global indicator of public sector corruption. This index provides an annual report relative to corruption based on rankings of countries and regions around the world.
• Currently 180 countries are ranked under it. A scale of 0 to 100 is used in this index for ranking, where zero indicates a highly corrupt state, while 100 indicate a corruption-free state.
• This index has become a benchmark measure of perceptions of corruption and is used by many analysts and investors.
• This index is also based on experts opinion on corruption in the public sector.This includes many factors, such as whether government leaders are held responsible for corruption, the prevalence of bribery and the response of public institutions to the needs of citizens.

India’s performance in the Corruption Perception Index -2020:

• India is ranked number 86 out of 180 countries in the 2020 Corruption Perceptions Index (CPI).
• India’s score in the index is below the average score of the Asia-Pacific region (31 countries) and below the global average.
• China is ranked 78th in the index, which is two places above India.
• Pakistan is ranked 144 in the index.

Key point:

• New Zealand and Denmark (88) have jointly topped the Corruption Perceptions Index, followed by Switzerland, Finland, Sweden and Singapore (85 points each).
• South Sudan and Somalia both jointly ranked lowest in the global rankings with 12 points.

Corruption and COVID-19:

• The latest edition of the Corruption Perceptions Index has highlighted the impact of corruption on the government’s response to deal with COVID-19.
• The index also compares the investment in healthcare between countries and the strengthening of democratic norms and institutions during the epidemic.

Suggestion given by Transparency International to curb corruption:

• Strengthen checks and balances and promote separation of powers.
• Dealing with preferential practices to ensure budget and public services that should not be conducted by personal contact or not be biased towards special interests.
• Taking care of practices such as ‘revolving doors’ between government and private sector.
• Regulating lobbying activities, making the decision-making process transparent and promoting meaningful outreach to all.
• Strengthen electoral integrity and prevent misinformation campaigns from being approved.
• Empowering citizens and providing protection to workers, whistleblowers and journalists.

Source – The Hindu

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Motion to Remove Speaker in Kerala Assembly Rejected

Recently, the Kerala Assembly rejected a motion brought by opposition parties to remove P.Srirama krishnan from the post of Speaker. The Speaker was accused by opposition parties of his role in the gold smuggling case and wastage by the Legislature Secretariat in various activities.

Removal of the Speaker of the Legislative Assembly

• As per the provisions of Article 179 (c) of the Constitution, any member holding the office of Speaker or Deputy Speaker of the Legislative Assembly can be removed from his / her post by a resolution passed by a majority of all the then members of the Legislative Assembly.
• To propose a resolution for this purpose, it is mandatory to give a minimum of fourteen days’ notice.
• Subject to the provisions of Article 181 of the Constitution, the Speaker or Deputy Speaker or any other person referred to in subdivision (2) of Article 180 is presided over to consider the motion to remove the Speaker or Deputy Speaker from the post.

Source – The Hindu

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Suspended Question Hour Resumed During Monsoon Session

• The ‘Question Hour’ was suspended by the government during the last monsoon session, for which it will be reintroduced in the budget session of Parliament starting on 29 January.
• It is known that in the Parliament it was postponed due to the COVID-19 epidemic.

Question Hour:

• Generally, the first hour of the sitting of the Parliament is set for questions, which is called the Question Hour. During this time, questions are asked by the Members of Parliament in relation to the official activities and administration of the Ministers and through this process they are held responsible for the functioning of their Ministries.
• The Question Hour is not mentioned in the Rules of Parliamentary Procedure.
• With the telecast of the Question Hours since 1991, the Question Hour has become the most important tool of parliamentary functioning.

The questions asked in the Question Hours are of the following categories:

Starred Questions:

Such questions are answered orally by the Minister and supplementary questions are allowed on these questions.

Un starred Questions:

Such questions are answered in writing by the Minister and there is no opportunity to ask supplementary questions on these questions.

Short notice question:

Such questions are asked at least 10 days prior notice, and the questions are answered orally by the Minister.

Exceptions of Question Hours:

In both the Houses, ‘Question Hours’ is held on each day of the session. But there are exceptions for two days:

• There is no Question Hours on the day the President addresses the MPs of both the Houses in the Central Hall.
• There is no Question Hours on the day the Finance Minister presents the budget.

Source – PIB

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M Nagaraj V/s Union of India Case (2006)

Recently the Supreme Court has asked to compile various issues raised by the states in relation to the implementation of the decision given in M Nagaraj V/s Union of India Case (2006).

M Nagaraj Case:

On June 17, 1995, the Seventy-seventh Amendment was passed by Parliament under its legislative competence. Through this amendment, a provision in Article 16 of the Constitution (4A) was enacted to provide for reservation in promotion to the Scheduled Castes / Scheduled Tribes.

Basis of reservation in constitution:

Article 335 of the constitution recognizes that special measures can be taken to bring Scheduled Castes and Scheduled Tribes to the same level.

Indira Sahini V/s Union of India and M Nagraj case:

• In 1992, the Supreme Court stated in the case Indira Sahini V/s Union of India that reservation under Article 16 (4) can only be given at the time of entering into a government job and not in promotion.
• Promotions have already taken place, they will remain as they are and will be valid for five years after this judgment and it has been given that it is mandatory to keep the creamy layer out of these promotions.
• But the Parliament added clause (4A) through 77th amendment to Article 16 in June 17, 1995 to nullify the decision of the Supreme Court which gave reservation to Scheduled Castes and Scheduled Tribes in promotion.

Source – The Hindu

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Special Status For Andhra Pradesh

The Chief Minister of Andhra Pradesh has demanded special state status for the state of Andhra Pradesh.

Special conditions for granting special state status to the state:

• There should be a majority of tribal population and the density of population should be very low.
• Apart from these, backwardness of the state, geographical location, social problems are also its basis.
• The state should be a hilly terrain with inaccessible areas.
• Some part of the state should be on the international border.
• The per capita income and non-tax revenue should be much lower.
• Lack of basic structure.

Provisions in the constitution :

There is no provision of special category status for any state in the Indian constitution. But the former Planning Commission and the National Development Council had made provision for special central assistance under Article 371, assuming that some areas of the country are comparatively backward from other areas. Based on this, some states were later given special state status.

When did states get the status of special status?

• 1969–1974: Assam, Jammu and Kashmir and Nagaland for the first time during the Fourth Five-Year Plan.
• 1974-1979: Himachal Pradesh, Manipur, Meghalaya, Sikkim and Tripura during the Fifth Five Year Plan.
• Arunachal Pradesh and Mizoram joined the 1990 Annual Plan.
• Uttarakhand got this status in 2001.

Benefits from special state status :

• States meeting these criteria have 90 percent grant and 10 percent loan in the amount provided under Central Cooperation.
• Other states are given 70 percent loan in the form of Central Cooperation and 30 percent in the form of grant.
• After granting special category state status, the central government has given special package facility and tax relief to these states.
• This encourages the private sector to invest in these areas, which provides employment to the people of the region and ensures their development.
• The first chapter of the 12th part of the constitution mentions the financial relations of the center-states.

Dr. Gadgil Formula:

• The Third Five-Year Plan, that is, until 1961–66 and again from 1966–1969, the Center did not have a fixed formula for granting grants to states.
• While formulating the Central Assistance Formula in 1969, the Fifth Finance Commission approved the Gadgil formula giving special status to three states – Assam, Nagaland and Jammu and Kashmir.
• The basis of this was the economic backwardness of these states, the difficult geographical location and the social problems prevailing there. In the following years, along with the remaining five states of the Northeast, three other states were also given this status.
• The resources that are left after meeting the requirements of special category states, they are distributed on the basis of 60% of the population, 25% on per capita income of the state, 7.5% on the basis of fiscal performance and 7.5% on the special circumstances of these states.

Source – The Hindu

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The Prevention of Cruelty to Animals Act 1960

The Supreme Court has asked the Center Government to withdraw or amend the rules notified in the year 2017 under the Prevention of Cruelty Act, 1960.

Rules of the year 2017

• The Prevention of Cruelty to Animals (Property and Animal Care and Maintenance) Rules, 2017 have been established under the Prevention of Cruelty to Animals Act, 1960.
• These rules under the Act allow the judge to seize the cattle of a person facing trial.
• After this, the animals are sent to veterinary hospitals, animal shelters, etc.
• Such animals can also be adopted by the authorities.

Overview of Supreme Court 

• These rules are contrary to Section 29 of the Prevention of Cruelty to Animals Act, under which a person convicted of cruelty can only lose his animals.
• The government has been asked to either change these rules or take a stay from the court.

The Prevention of Cruelty to Animals Act 1960:

• It is enacted to prevent animals from causing unnecessary suffering.
• Under this Act, the Animal Welfare Board of India has been set up under the Ministry of Environment and Forests.
• It regulates the owners of animal markets, dog breeders, aquariums and pet fish shops.
• Cruelty to animals is prohibited under the act.

Constitutional Status :

• The Fundamental Duty is an important part of the Constitution of India. A provision has been made in Article 51 (a) (g), under which the duty of protecting the natural environment in which the lake, river, and wildlife is given.
• Taking inspiration from this arrangement given in the Constitution, the Prevention of Cruelty to Animals Act, 1960, Wildlife (Protection) Act, 1972 and Slaughter House Rules, 2001 were made in the Parliament of India.
• Article-48 is included as a Directive Principle, stating that the State will endeavor to organize “agricultural and animal husbandry systems on modern and scientific grounds” and especially of cows and calves and other milch and carrier will take steps to preserve and improve the breeds of animal and to restrict their slaughter.

Source : Indian Express

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सुशासन सूचकांक 2019 

चर्चा का कारण 

• 25 दिसंबर सुशासन दिवस पर देश में सुशासन की स्थिति का आकलन करने के लिए भारत सरकार द्वारा सुशासन सूचकांक जारी किया गया। इसे कार्मिक मंत्रालय के प्रशासनिक सुधार और लोक शिकायत विभाग ने सेंटर फॉर गुड गवर्नेंस  हैदराबाद की तकनीकी मदद से तैयार किया है।
• ज्ञातव्य है कि पूर्व प्रधानमन्त्री अटल बिहारी वाजपेयी की जन्मतिथि 25 दिसम्बर को 2014 से सुशासन दिवस के रूप में मनाया जाता है.

परिचय

• भारत राज्यों का संघ है जिसमें केन्द्र सरकार एवं राज्य सरकारों के बीच शक्तियों का संवैधानिक रूप से स्पष्ट बँटवारा किया गया है। केन्द्र एवं राज्य सरकारों के मध्य संबंध एवं उनके अधिकार
• क्षेत्रें को संविधान की सातवीं अनुसूची केन्द्र सूची, राज्य सूची और समवर्ती सूची के माध्यम से स्पष्ट रूप से परिभाषित किया गया है।
• समान संवैधानिक व्यवस्था, संस्थागत स्वरूप, शक्तियों, भूमिकाओं एवं जिम्मेदारी की एकरूपता तथा स्वतंत्रता प्राप्ति से लेकर अभी तक केन्द्र सरकार के लगातार समर्थन के बावजूद राज्यों में
• शासन की गुणवत्ता और लोगों के जीवन स्तर में व्यापक असमानताएं हैं। हालाँकि राज्यों के आकार, स्थलाकृति और सामाजिक एवं सांस्कृतिक विशेषताओं में पर्याप्त भिन्नता है लेकिन सभी एक ही संविधान और एक समान राष्ट्रीय नीतियों एवं
• कानूनों द्वारा शासित होते हैं। इन सबके बावजूद भी कुछ राज्यों ने सुशान के क्षेत्र में बेहतर प्रदर्शन करते हुए अच्छे परिणाम प्राप्त किये हैं जबकि कुछ राज्यों ने सुशासन की दिशा में बेहतर भविष्य के संकेत देने शुरू कर दिये हैं।

सुशासन क्या है

• सुशासन सूचकांक 2019 की अवधारणा दुनिया के लिए नयी नहीं है। समकालीन दुनिया में इसका उपयोग सार्वजनिक एवं निजी दोनों क्षेत्रें में काम करने वाले संगठनों/संस्थानों के संदर्भ में विभिन्न तरीकों से किया जा रहा है। हालाँकि अभी तक इसकी सर्वमान्य परिभाषा नहीं दी जा सकी है।
•  समाज के समुचित विकास, उसकी शांति एवं समृद्धि के लिए सुशासन पहली शर्त है। सुशासन के अंतर्गत बहुत सी चीजें आती हैं जिनमें अच्छा बजट, सही प्रबंधन, कानून का शासन, सदाचार आदि शामिल हैं। इसके विपरीत पारदर्शित की कमी या संपूर्ण अभाव, जंगलराज, लोगों की कम भागीदारी, भ्रष्टाचार का बोलबाला आदि दुःशासन के लक्ष्य हैं।
• शासन को प्रभावी व सक्षम बनाकर, विकासात्मक प्रक्रिया को उत्पादनशील बनाने व नयी दिशा प्रदान करने के लिए जिम्मेदारी, पारदर्शिता, भागीदारी और सशक्तीकरण पर जोर दिया जाना ही सुशासन है।
• सुशासन नव उदारवाद का ही एक रूप है। नव उदारवाद में भागीदारी, समावेशी चरित्र, पारदर्शिता महत्वपूर्ण विषय है। सुशासन इस दौर में एक ऐसी परिकल्पना है जिसमें सबको साथ लेकर चलने की शक्ति होनी चाहिए। इसमें न्यूनतम लालफीताशाही के साथ नागरिक समाज की व्यापक सहभागिता होनी चाहिए।
• सुशासन न केवल रचनात्मक भागीदारी को प्रोत्साहित करता है, बल्कि विभिन्न तत्वों को एक साथ लाकर उसकी
• जन स्वीकार्यता को भी आगे बढ़ाता है। सुशासन संस्थागत समावेशन को बढ़ावा देता है।

सुशासन सूचकांक के मुख्य बिंदु

• जीजीआई का उद्देश्य सभी राज्यों और केन्द्रशासित प्रदशों में सुशासन की स्थिति की तुलना करने के लिए मात्रत्मक डाटा उपलब्ध कराना, शासन में सुधार के लिए उचित रणनीति बनाने और उन्हे लागू करने में उन्हे सक्षम बनाना और उनके यहाँ परिणाम उन्मुख दृष्टिकोण और प्रशासन की स्थापना करना है।
• इस सूचकांक को तैयार करने के लिए 10 महत्वपूर्ण क्षेत्रें में राज्यों के अभिशासन को आधार बनाया गया है कृषि एवं संबंधित क्षेत्र, वाणिज्य एवं उद्योग, मानव संसाधन विकास, लोक स्वास्थ्य, सार्वजनिक अवसंरचना एवं उपयोगिता, आर्थिक अभिशासन, सामाजिक कल्याण एवं विकास, न्यायिक एवं सार्वजनिक सुरक्षा, पर्यावरण और नागरिक केन्द्रित अभिशासन।
• इन सभी क्षेत्रें का आकलन 5 उपक्षेत्रें/ संकेतकों के आधार पर किया गया है। सभी संकेतकों का भार भी अलग-अलग है जिसके आधार पर समग्र रैंकिंग तैयार की गयी है।
• सुशासन सूचकांक में रैंकिंग प्रदान करने के लिए राज्यों को उनके आकार, भौगोलिक स्थिति तथा प्रशासनिक स्वरूप को ध्यान में रखते हुए तीन वर्गों में विभाजित कर समग्र एवं क्षेत्रवार रैंकिंग प्रदान की गयी है।
• मध्यप्रदेश, मिजोरम तथा दमन और दीव कृषि एवं संबंधित क्षेत्र में खाद्यान्न उत्पादन, बागवानी उत्पादन, दूध एवं मांस उत्पादन और फसल विकास आदि क्षेत्रें में सर्वश्रेष्ठ प्रदर्शन करने वाले राज्य हैं।
• वाणिज्य एवं उद्योग की श्रेणी में बड़े राज्यों में झारखण्ड, पहाड़ी राज्यों में उत्तराखण्ड और केन्द्रशासित प्रदेशों में दिल्ली को शीर्ष स्थान प्राप्त हुआ है।
• पर्यावरण श्रेणी में पश्चिम बंगाल बड़े राज्यों में तथा जम्मू कश्मीर पहाड़ी राज्यों में शीर्ष पर है।
• सामाजिक कल्याण एवं विकास के क्षेत्र में छत्तीसगढ़ बड़े राज्यों में और पहाड़ी राज्यों में मेघालय सबसे बेहतर प्रदर्शन करने वाला राज्य है।
• आर्थिक अभिशासन में बड़े राज्यों में कर्नाटक तथा पहाड़ी राज्यों में उत्तराखण्ड ने प्रथम स्थान प्राप्त किया है।
• लोक स्वास्थ में केरल, सार्वजनिक अवसंरचना एवं उपयोगिता में तमिलनाडु तथा हिमाचल प्रदेश ने अपने वर्ग में शीर्ष स्थान प्राप्त किया है।

सुशासन के लिए सरकारी प्रयास

• कृषि एवं संबंधित क्षेत्रः सरकार 2022 तक किसानों की आय को दोगुना करने और कृषि को लाभदायक बनाने की दिशा में काम रही है। भारत सरकार के साथ-साथ राज्य सरकारें भी इस क्षेत्र के लिए प्रभावशाली पहल कर रहीं हैं, जिनका विशेष ध्यान कृषि लागत, प्रक्रिया और परिणाम पर केन्द्रित है। कुछ पहलें जैसे बुनियादी ढाँचे का निर्माण (जैसे सिंचाई व्यवस्था, भंडारण इत्यादि), कृषि विपणन, फसल बीमा, कृषि में तकनीकी विस्तार, स्थायी कृषि मिशन आदि शामिल हैं। मध्य प्रदेश सरकार कृषि क्षेत्र में विकास विशेष ध्यान दिया है, जैसे- सिंचाई के नहरों का विस्तार किया जाना, बाजार में फसलों की कीमतों के घटने से किसानों के नुकसान की भरपाई के लिए आवंटन योजना आदि।
• वाणिज्य एवं उद्योगः यह क्षेत्र व्यापार सुगमता, औद्योगिक विकास, सूक्ष्म लघु एवं मध्यम उद्योग प्रतिष्ठान आदि में शासन के पहलुओं को समाहित करता है। केन्द्र एवं राज्य सरकारें उद्योग एवं सेवा क्षेत्र को आगे बढ़ाने की दिशा में काम कर रही हैं। किसी राज्य में उद्योग एवं वाणिज्य का विकास वहां उपलब्ध संसाधनों और क्षेत्र के विकास के समर्थनकारी कानूनों एवं उनके अनुपालन पर निर्भर करता है। मेक इन इंडिया, इनवेस्ट इन इंडिया, स्टार्ट-अप इंडिया और ई-बिज आदि पहलों के माध्यम से सरकार ने देश में निवेश एवं व्यवसाय सुगमता के लिए राष्ट्रीय स्तर पर शासन योजना प्रस्तुत की है।
• मानव संसाधन विकासः इस क्षेत्र में प्राथमिक एवं माध्यमिक शिक्षा, कौशल विकास और अन्य संबंधित क्षेत्रें में शिक्षा संबंधी पहलुओं को शामिल किया गया है। सरकार शिक्षा की एक समान पहुँच और गुणवत्ता में सुधार के लिए निरंतर प्रयासरत है। केन्द्र सरकार ने इसके लिए सर्व शिक्षा अभियान (ैै।) दीन दयाल उपाध्याय ग्रामीण कौशल योजना, डिजिटल इंडिया, स्किल इंडिया आदि पहलों के माध्यम से मानव संसाधन विकास में जोर दिया है। सभी तक शिक्षा की पहुँच उपलब्ध कराने के लिए सरकार ने शिक्षा को मूल अधिकार के रूप में मान्यता प्रदान कर (शिक्षा का अधिकार-अधिनियम, 2005) राज्यों के लिए इस प्रावधानों को बाध्यकारी बना दिया गया।
• लोक स्वास्थ्यः लोक स्वास्थ्य में प्राथमिक, द्वितीयक एवं विशेष स्वास्थ्य देखभाल के साथ अन्य स्वास्थ्य संबंधी प्रशासनिक पहलुओं को शामिल किया जाता है।
• संविधान में स्वास्थ्य देखभाल की जिम्मेदारी राज्यों को प्रदान की गयी है जो राज्यों को अपने निवासियों के पोषण स्तर को बढ़ाने और उनके जीवन स्तर तथा सार्वजनिक स्वास्थ्य में सुधार करने के लिए जिम्मेदार बनाता है।
• स्वास्थ्य क्षेत्र को प्रभावकारी बनाने के लिए सरकार ने राष्ट्रीय स्वास्थ्य मिशन, बाल स्वच्छता मिशन, इन्द्रधनुष योजना आदि पहलों को आगे बढ़ाया। वर्ष 2017 में सरकार द्वारा राष्ट्रीय स्वास्थ्य नीति की घोषणा की गयी जिसमें यह प्रावधान किया गया कि जीडीपी का 2-5» लोक स्वास्थ्य पर खर्च किया जायेगा। सरकार द्वारा चालू की गयी आयुष्मान भारत योजना के तहत देश के लगभग सभी गरीब माने जाने वाले लोगों को 5 लाख तक के मुफ्रत बीमा की सुविधा प्रदान की जा रही है।
• सार्वजनिक अवसंरचनाः बेहतर एवं दक्ष भौतिक बुनियादी ढांचा सतत विकास के लिए एक आवश्यक तत्व है। मलिन बस्तियों एवं ग्रामीण इलाकों में रहने वाले अधिकांश लोगों को स्वच्छ पानी तक उपलब्ध नहीं हो पाता है। सतत विकास लक्ष्यों एवं विभिन्न विकास परियोजनाओं में स्वच्छ जल एवं स्वच्छता प्रावधान विशेष रूप से शामिल किया जाता है। भारत सरकार ने सेवाओं तक पहुँच में सुधार करने और नागरिकों की जरूरतों को पूरा करने के लिए बुनियादी ढाँचा तैयार करने के लिए कायाकल्प एवं शहरी परिवर्तन के लिए अटल मिशन (।डत्न्ज्) , स्मार्ट भारत मिशन, राष्ट्रीय सौर मिशन, शहरी ज्योति अभियान जैसी कई योजनाएँ चलाई है।
• आर्थिक प्रशासनः इस क्षेत्र में राजकोषीय प्रबंधन, राजस्व प्रबंधन, वित्तीय समावेशन आदि क्षेत्रें को समाहित करने वाले सरकार के आर्थिक प्रबंधन को शामिल किया गया है। राज्यों के बीच विकास और शासन को मापने में अर्थव्यवस्था का महत्वपूर्ण स्थान हेाता है।

राज्यों के आर्थिक विकास एवं वृद्धि के प्रमुख मापक हैं –

•  सकल राज्य घरेलू उत्पाद वृद्धि दर
•  प्रति व्यक्ति आय में वृद्धि
•  सकल राज्य घरेलू उत्पाद पर राजकोषीय घाटा
•  सकल राज्य घरेलू उत्पाद और सार्वजनिक ट्टण अनुपात

सामाजिक कल्याण : समाज के विभिन्न वर्गों के लोगों का कल्याण राज्य के समग्र विकास में महत्वपूर्ण भूमिका निभाता है। भारत में सामाजिक कल्याण के महत्वपूर्ण पहलू हैं- स्वास्थ्य, शिक्षा, अर्थव्यवस्था, रोजगार आदि।

• सामाजिक कल्याण के क्षेत्र में केन्द्र सरकार की पहलें, जैसे- प्रधानमंत्री जनधन योजना, अटल पेंशन योजना, प्रधानमंत्री श्रमयोगी मानधन योजना, प्रधानमंत्री किसान मानधन योजना आदि। वहीं राज्यों ने भी सामाजिक कल्याण की अनेक योजनाएं चलाई हैं, जैसे- राज्यों में वृद्धावस्था पेंशन योजनाएं, विधवा पेंशन योजनाएं, बालिकाओं की शिक्षा एवं सशक्तिकरण से संबंधित योजनाएं आदि।
• न्यायिक एवं जन सुरक्षाः न्याय सुशासन का एक महत्वपूर्ण पहलू है। सामाजिक एवं आर्थिक सुरक्षा के लिए न्याय के साथ जन सुरक्षा की व्यवस्था को बनाये रखना राज्यों के लिए अति आवश्यक है। जन सुरक्षा के लिए आवश्यक है कि समाज में हो रहे अपराधों की रोकथाम के लिए पुलिस बल पर ध्यान केन्द्रित किया जाये और पुलिस कर्मियों को पर्याप्त मात्र में तैनात किया जाये।
• पर्यावरणः वैश्विक तापन, प्रदूषण, अनियमित होती पर्यावरणीय दशाओं को नियंत्रित करते हुए सतत विकास को आगे बढ़ाना पर्यावरणीय प्रशासन के अंतर्गत आता है। भविष्य की सुरक्षा को ध्यान में रखते हुए सरकार ने इस क्षेत्र में कुछ महत्वपूर्ण कदम उठाये हैं, जैसे- नमामि गंगे, राष्ट्रीय हरित भारत मिशन, राष्ट्रीय नदी संरक्षण कार्यक्रम, वन्यजीव आवासों के समेकित विकास की योजना, प्राकृतिक संसाधनों एवं पर्यावरणीय प्रणालियाें का संरक्षण आदि।
• नागरिक केन्द्रित शासनः नागरिकों के कल्याण और उनके अधिकारों को सुनिश्चित करने के उद्देश्य से नागरिक केन्द्रित शासन किसी भी राष्ट्रीय राज्य और स्थानीय सरकार के लिए महत्वपूर्ण है। नागरिक केन्द्रितता का उद्देश्य सुशासन प्रदान करना ही है।
• इसके लिए सूचना का अधिकार, नागरिक चार्टर, सूचना प्रौद्योगिकी के उपयोग के साथ ऑनलाइन सेवाओं की उपलब्धता आदि का प्रावधान किया गया है।

सुशासन की राह में चुनौतियाँ

सुशासन की स्थापना में सरकार जिन चुनौतियों का सामाना करती है, उनमें सर्वप्रमुख हैं- शासन के तीनों अंगों विधायिका, कार्यपालिका और न्यायपालिका का प्रभावी समन्वय। एक अच्छा शासन प्रदान करने के लिए सरकार को संसदीय सर्वोच्चता एवं न्यायिक स्वतंत्रता के बीच संतुलन स्थापित करना पड़ता है। राज्य की शासन व्यवस्था में निजी क्षेत्र एवं नागरिक समाज का भी योगदान अति महत्वपूर्ण है जिनकी स्पष्ट भूमिका एवं जिम्मेदारी को चिह्नित किये जाने की आवश्यकता है। इस संदर्भ में देखा जाए तो सुशासन के समक्ष कुछ प्रमुख चुनौतियां हैं –

• शासन संस्थागत संरचना को मजबूत करना
• सिविल सेवाओं एवं नौकरशाही के काम-काज में सुधार
• नागरिकों का न्यायपालिका में विश्वास बनाने के लिए न्यायपालिका की स्वतंत्रता एवं जवाबदेहिता को सुनिश्चित एवं सुदृढ़ किया जाना
• उपभोक्ता हितों की रक्षा के लिए निजी एवं सरकारी दोनों क्षेत्रें की जवाबदेही तय करना।
• नागरिकों को उनके अधिकारों एवं दायित्वों के बारे में शिक्षित करना और विकास की गतिविधियों का भागीदार बनाना।
• देश की विशालता उसकी सामाजिक और धार्मिक विविधता, परंपराएं और विश्व स्तर पर हो रही घटनाओं का दबाव जनता के समक्ष कई तरह की चुनौतियां प्रस्तुत कर रहा है।

आगे की राह

• आम आदमी की दृष्टि में सुशासन का तात्पर्य सुलभ, जवाबदेह एवं किफायती शासन है। पिछले तीन दशकों में हुए वैश्विक विकास ने सुशासन की धारणा को व्यापक बनाकर इसके दायरे में सरकार, निजी क्षेत्र एवं नागरिक सभी को समाहित कर लिया है।
• शासन में परिवर्तन लाने के लिए सिर्फ सरकार में सुधार पर्याप्त नहीं होता इसके लिए आवश्यक है कि विकास को बढ़ाने वाली नीतियों का निर्माण, उनके अनुपालन में आने वाली बाधाओं का उन्मूलन, आवश्यक एवं अनिवार्य सेवाओं की समयबद्ध उपलब्धता को सुनिश्चित किया जाये।
• इसके अलावा देखा जाए तो सुशासन के क्षेत्र में मीडिया की भूमिका सर्वोच्च होती है। यह प्रशासन को भटकाव से बचाती है उसके प्रत्येक काम पर पैनी नजर भी रखती है। इस प्रकार सुशासन तभी संभव है जब सरकार के तीनों अंग (विधायिका, कार्यपालिका, न्यायपालिका), समाज के सभी लोग और मीडिया, सभी शुद्ध मन से सहयोग करें व अपने दायित्वों को समझें और उनका पूरी तरह निर्वाह करें। राजनीतिज्ञों एवं अफसरों का भ्रष्ट गठजोड़, जनता का जागरूक न होना, मीडिया की संवेदनहीनता या अपर्याप्त बजटीय प्रावधान सुशासन की राह में रोड़ा हैं,
• इसलिए आवश्यकता इस बात की है कि सरकार कुशल एवं प्रभावी सेवाओं पर ध्यान केन्द्रित करे जिससे सरकारी योजनाओं का लाभ प्रत्येक व्यक्ति को मिले।

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