A. GS 1 Related
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B. GS 2 Related
Nothing here for today!!!
C. GS 3 Related
Category: ECONOMY
1. Sterlite plant sale could impact investor confidence in Tamil Nadu
Syllabus: Indian Economy and issues relating to planning, mobilization of resources, growth, development and employment.
Prelims: Trends in the copper market of India
Mains: Arguments for and against the reopening of the Sterlite Copper plant in Thoothukudi
Context
Vedanta Group announced that its Sterlite Copper plant in Thoothukudi was up for sale.
Details
- The Tamil Nadu government in 2018 had closed down Sterlite Copper which is a subsidiary of Sterlite industries owned by Vedanta Limited on charges of pollution.
- The Sterlite Copper used to meet nearly 40% of India’s demand for copper and accounted for about ₹2,500 crores to the exchequer.
- The Thoothukudi plant has an installed capacity of 4,00,000 metric tonnes per annum (MTPA) at the integrated copper smelter and refinery, with a capacity for another 4,00,000 MTPA.
- Further, Sterlite was the only domestic supplier of phosphoric acid which is a key raw material for fertilizers.
- This Thoothukudi plant was also the largest supplier of sulphuric acid in Tamil Nadu, which has its application in the detergent and chemical industries.
Indian copper market
- Post the closure of the plant in 2018, India has become a net importer of copper from FY19
- Imports are expected to increase as the domestic demand is estimated to double from 1 million metric tonnes to 2 million metric tonnes.
- Over 33% of the copper is used by the electrical segment.
- Data suggest that India is importing copper at record prices at about $9,600 per tonne, which is 50% higher than the average prices when India was a net exporter (around $6,500 per tonne).
- The fluctuations in forex also add to the worries of the Indian copper market.
Arguments for the opening of the plant
- Various industries and micro, small and medium enterprises (MSMEs) that depend on copper (a key raw material) have raised concerns about the sale of the plant as it would further impact businesses in the State.
- After the closure of the plant, the prices of the raw materials have increased significantly in the region which has impacted the industries in the region.
- The waiting time for raw material import has also increased significantly which is forcing industries to invest more in their working capital (to keep a higher inventory of copper) which has further impacted the profitability of these companies.
- The closure of the plant forced various other industries and ancillary units (that depend on raw materials from the plant) to move out of Tamil Nadu to states like Telangana as procuring raw materials from other states was not economically feasible for these units.
- The transport industry which ensured income for many truck drivers and cleaners was also severely affected due to the closure of the plant.
Arguments against the opening of the plant
- Environmentalists who have been against the operation of the plant said that the move by the Vedanta group to sell the plant is a “marketing gimmick” and a “strategy to get national attention”.
- They further regard the move as an attempt to hoodwink the people of Thoothukudi and blackmail the government.
- Leaders of the Anti-Sterlite Protest Movement point out that, “if a chemical industry wants to wind up its operations and decides to dismantle the unit, it should obtain permission from the Tamil Nadu Pollution Control Board. But Vedanta has issued this advertisement without following this mandatory procedure”.
- Almost all the political parties, the victims of the police firing and villagers continue to oppose the reopening of the plant.
Way forward
- Industry experts opine that the Supreme Court must allow the company to restart its operations and the Centre and the State governments must ensure that the company follows strict pollution-control regulations.
- They further say that if there were any issues in its operation or the treatment of its effluents, the company should have been mandated to rectify the deviations and continue the operations as shutting down a plant does not solve the problem.
- Other experts also feel that the decision of selling the plant could be rewarding as people’s minds and sentiments could change with the arrival of new players and more industries would invest more confidently.
Nut Graf The move to sell the Sterlite Copper plant by the Vedanta Group has come under the spotlight as the reopening or the selling of the plant will have large-scale consequences on the conduct of business and the confidence of investors in the region. |
2. Salt sector crisis pinches livelihood of lakhs
Syllabus: Indian Economy and issues relating to planning, mobilization of resources, growth, development and employment.
Prelims: Salt industry in India
Mains: Challenges associated with the salt industry in India
Context
This article talks about the challenges faced by the salt industry.
Salt industry in India
- India is ranked as the third-largest producer of Salt in the World after China and USA.
- At the time of Indian independence, India was importing salt from the UK and the salt industry in India has achieved tremendous growth in terms of becoming self-sufficient and also exporting its surplus.
- The major sources of salt in the country include:
- Sea brine
- Lake brine
- Sub-soil brine
- Rock salt deposits
- Nearly 99.5% of salt is produced either from the seawater or from the subsoil water and the entire process is done by seeding, cultivation and harvest.
- The major salt-producing states are Gujarat, Tamil Nadu, Andhra Pradesh, Maharashtra, Odisha and West Bengal.
- Gujarat produces nearly 28.5 million tonnes of salt a year, which is about 80% of India’s total production.
- About five lakh people currently work in the salt industry
- It is estimated that 87.6% of the total number of salt producers are small-scale producers.
- Salt is listed under the Union List of the seventh schedule of the Constitution of India.
Challenges associated with the salt industry in India
- The salt industry is currently facing huge challenges in meeting the demand and in addressing the crisis faced by salt farmers.
- At present, India produces 36 million tonnes of salt and its demand, including for export, is 31.5 million tonnes. However, the demand is increasing at the rate of 8% but the production is increasing at just 3%.
- This is expected to create a demand and supply gap in the coming years.
- Currently, farmers earn about ₹250 to ₹300 for a tonne of salt produced and the problem is that the prices keep fluctuating.
- Farmers are facing low prices as there is no minimum support price (MSP).
- Further, the workers are affected because of the lack of an adequate system for wages and social security benefits.
- Even after 75 years of Independence, the laws governing the salt industry are the ones that were framed by the British.
- About 120 years ago, Britishers extracted salt from Mandi in Himachal Pradesh through mining and hence the British put salt production as mining.
- But currently, only about 0.5% of salt is produced through mining.
- Experts say that since it is listed as a mining industry, all laws governing the industries are applicable to salt production even as the production is done through simple solar evaporation.
Nut Graf The challenges and concerns associated with the salt industry have to be immediately addressed as the industry has played a crucial role in changing the course of the history of India and continues to be the source of livelihood to lakhs of people in the country. |
D. GS 4 Related
Nothing here for today!!!
E. Editorials
Category: POLITY
1. Has the anti-defection law failed in India?
Syllabus: Indian Constitution—Evolution, Features, Amendments, Significant Provisions and Basic Structure.
Prelims: Anti-defection law provisions
Mains: Concerns associated with anti-defection law and recommendations
Context:
- Many ruling party legislators from the Shiv Sena political party from the state of Maharashtra have revolted against the leadership. There are indications of mass defection in the party.
- This political churn in Maharashtra has brought the focus upon the anti-defection law.
Anti-defection law:
- The Tenth Schedule of the Constitution, popularly referred to as the ‘Anti-Defection Law’ was inserted by the 52nd Amendment (1985) to the Constitution.
- ‘Defection’ has been defined as, “To abandon a position or association, often to join an opposing group”.
- The law contemplates two kinds of defection:
- A member voluntarily giving up membership of the party on whose symbol he got elected
- Member violating a whip issued by the party to vote in a particular way or to abstain from voting.
- The anti-defection was introduced to ensure that a party member does not violate the mandate of the party and in case he/she does so, he/she will lose membership of the House. It was meant to curtail the menace of floor-crossing and toppling of elected regimes by engineering defections. Hence it sought for stability of governments.
For detailed information on the anti-defection law refer to the following article:
Concerns with the anti-defection law:
Antithetical to the principle of representative democracy:
- The anti-defection law by forcing the elected members to stand by the party line comes across as being against the principle of representative democracy. The provisions of the law prevent the members from representing the views of the people of their constituency and is also found to violate their freedom of expression.
Exceptions to application of anti-defection law:
- Paragraph 4 of the Tenth Schedule provides for an exception to the application of anti-defection law for disqualification in case of a merger of one party with another. As per this provision, a deemed merger is said to have occurred only if two-thirds of the party’s total strength agrees to the merger. This paves the way for mass defections.
- There are also concerns that this provision would be used to save the defectors from the anti-defection law.
Misuse of the provisions:
- Recent instances are indicative of the misuse of provisions by parties, legislators and Speakers to either evade the law against defection or to achieve partisan political ends.
- The speaker has in many cases misused his/her powers with respect to the provisions of anti-defection law. In many cases, speakers have chosen not to act on anti-defection petitions. This has allowed members to continue as members of the house as well as become ministers despite having had defected to the ruling party.
- As per the anti-defection law, the Presiding Officer of the legislature to disqualify any defector on a petition by another member
- There have been recent episodes of members submitting resignation letters to escape disqualification proceedings.
Uncertainty around the law:
- A member using the ‘voluntarily giving up membership’ mode of defection has been a source of dispute and litigation.
- The Supreme Court decisions on this aspect have not been conclusionary and there continues to remain scope for further dispute and litigation.
For more detailed information on the concerns with anti-defection law refer to the following article:
Recommendations:
- As the anti-defection law has failed to curtail defections and has been liable to misuse, there is a strong case to reform the anti-defection law.
- Redefining the merger clause, shifting the adjudicatory power from the Speaker to some other credible authority could be some of the important aspects to be considered for reforming the law.
Nut Graf Given the increasing instances of the failure of anti-defection law to ensure the stability of the elected government and the misuse of provisions by parties, legislators and Speakers to evade the law, there is the need to reform the anti-defection law. |
F. Prelims Facts
1. Jyotirgamaya Festival
Syllabus: GS-1, Indian Heritage and Culture; Salient aspects of Art Forms
Prelims: World Music Day, Jyotirgamaya Festival and Sangeet Natak Akademi
Context
On the occasion of World Music Day, Jyotirgamaya Festival was organised.
Jyotirgamaya Festival
- Jyotirgamaya Festival is organised by the Sangeet Natak Akademi
- Jyotirgamaya is a unique festival organised to showcase the talent of rare musical instruments from across the country, including street performers, train entertainers, performers attached to temples, etc.
- The festival aims to spread awareness about the need to protect the craft of making and the skill of playing rare musical instruments, and to provide a platform to ‘unheard’ artists.
Sangeet Natak Akademi
- Sangeet Natak Akademi was established in 1953 with the objective of preserving and promoting the vast intangible heritage of India’s diverse culture expressed in forms of music, dance and drama.
- It is the apex body in the field of performing arts in the country
- It is an autonomous body working under the aegis of the Ministry of Culture.
- The Chairman of the Sangeet Natak Akademi is appointed by the President of India for a term of five years.
- The registered office of the Akademi is at Rabindra Bhavan.
- The Sangeet Natak Akademi Awards are the highest national recognition conferred to artists.
G. Tidbits
1. Hasina opens Padma multipurpose bridge
- The Government of India congratulated Bangladesh on the completion of the Padma Multipurpose Bridge which is regarded as the biggest infrastructure project in Bangladesh.
- Along with enhancing the internal connectivity in Bangladesh, the Padma bridge is expected to improve trade and logistics between India and Bangladesh.
- The bridge is expected to play a crucial role in improving bilateral India-Bangladesh and subregional links.
- The Padma Bridge will facilitate faster transportation of goods and commodities between Bangladesh and India and other countries like Nepal and Bhutan.
2. Udaipur’s ‘bird village’ to be declared wetland
- Menar in Udaipur district which is regarded as the “bird village” is set to be notified as Rajasthan’s new wetland. The move is expected to help the region get the Ramsar site status under the Ramsar convention, 1971.
- The freshwater lakes of the region will be protected with the application of the Wetlands (Conservation and Management) Rules, 2019.
- Currently, Rajasthan has two wetlands recognised as Ramsar sites namely Keoladeo Ghana in Bharatpur district and Sambhar Salt Lake in Jaipur.
- The two lakes in the village namely the Brahma and Dhandh host a large number of migratory birds during the winter season which include the greater flamingo, white-tailed lapwing, pelican, marsh harrier, bar headed goose, common teal, greenshank, pintail, wagtail, green sandpiper and red-wattled lapwing.
3. Kerala to have its own regional red list of birds
- Kerala will have its own red list of birds as the Kerala Bird Monitoring Collective led by Kerala Agricultural University and the Bird Count India will conduct the regional red list assessment.
- The assessments will be done on the basis of the International Union for Conservation of Nature (IUCN) guidelines.
- It makes Kerala the first State to have a region-specific red list of birds
- The IUCN guidelines for preparing the red list have five main criteria namely the population size reduction measured over 10 years or three generations, geographic range on the basis of extent of occurrence or area of occupancy, small population size and decline, very small or restricted population, and quantitative analysis indicating the probability of extinction in the wild
- According to the global IUCN red list, Kerala has 35 threatened species of birds which includes the Red-headed vulture and White-rumped vulture which are critically endangered and Steppe Eagle, Banasura Chilappan and Nilgiri Chilappan which are endangered and 11 species are vulnerable.
H. UPSC Mains Practice Questions
- Anti-defection law has been rendered meaningless due to loopholes in the law. Explain the statement with relevant examples. (15 Marks, 250 Words) (GS Paper 2/Polity)
- Should the Sterlite Copper plant in Thoothukudi be allowed to restart its operations? Critically Analyze. (10 Marks, 150 Words) (GS Paper 3/Environment and Ecology)
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