Context: 

Japan’s Prime Minister Fumio Kishida has now taken the initiative to raise the Global South for the developing or the so-called Third World to the top of the G7 agenda.

Japan steps for Global South:

• Japan has constructed and popularized the Indo-Pacific construct over the last decade and more.
• Former Japanese Prime Minister Shinzo Abe was the first to articulate the idea of the Indo-Pacific in August 2007. 
• He called for a coalition of Asian democracies that eventually took the form of the Quadrilateral forum.
• He cautioned other G7 countries on the dangers of neglecting the Global South. 
• Kishida is firm in his conviction that the G7 can’t “impose its values” on the Global South.There is a need to have a firm understanding of historical and cultural backgrounds of the Global South.
• Kishida believes that greater cooperation between the G7 and the developing countries is also critical for addressing the current global challenges.

Japan’s changing perspective under Kishida’s leadership:

• He clearly articulated the implications of Russia’s invasion of Ukraine.
• Defense Policy: He has announced sweeping reform in Japan’s defense policy. This involved doubling the defense spending to 2% of the GDP over the next 5 years, building a large missile force, boosting cybersecurity capabilities and taking larger responsibilities for regional security and capacity building in the Indo-Pacific.
• Diplomacy: Japan has adopted new realist diplomacy. It now recognises the essential relationship between diplomacy and defense.
• Japan’s initiatives on the Indo-Pacific and the Quad have broken the misperception of Asia as being merely Sino-centric.

With India:

• The India-Japan partnership on the Global South might help overcome the traditional divides between East and West as well as North and South.

Conclusion:

Japan’s new approach provides the basis for more substantive and wider collaboration between Delhi and Tokyo in the developing regions of the world. India needs to collaborate more and work in betterment and upliftment of the Global South.

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Context:

In the 17 years since the implementation of the Mahatma Gandhi National Rural Employment Guarantee Scheme (MGNREGS), studies have shown its positive impact in rural areas.

Significance of the Scheme:

• From reducing penury through providing off-season employment, acting as insurance during monsoon deficient seasons, allowing for greater food security through increased productivity helped by the works generated, the scheme continues to be a robust welfare tool. 
• During the pandemic, thousands of workers took up work under the MGNREGS in rural areas where demand for the menial but arduous work peaked. 

Challenges in Implementation:

• Allocation is reduced for the scheme in the Union Budget, from 2.14% of overall outlay in FY23 to 1.33% in FY24. 
• Aadhaar-based payments have neither reduced corruption nor reduced wage payment delays while creating hurdles for officials and workers during implementation.
• Now, the idea is to change the contribution of funds from 100% by the government to a 60-40 split between the Centre and the States in order to make States “more vigilant regarding corruption” will only lead to further complications in funding. 
• There has been a shrinking in the States’ share of taxes following GST and the financial stresses and taking up 40% of the funding burden would affect the payment of wages even further. 

Way Forward:

• MGNREGS is a demand-driven programme and salient especially in poorer States and it is incumbent upon the Centre to ensure its robust funding. The government must change its approach towards the MGNREGS by recognising its potential in catering to the poor’s right to work. 

News Source: The Hindu

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Context: 

In presenting the Union Budget 2023-24, Finance Minister Nirmala Sitharaman claimed that the central government has improved the quality of life and ensured dignity for all citizens since 2014.

Status of Social Security Schemes:

• Since 2007, social security pensions being given by the central government under the National Social Assistance Programme (NSAP), have remained fixed at a very low sum of ₹200 for the elderly and ₹300 per month for widows and persons with disabilities. 
• In addition, only those who appear on the obsolete and discredited Below Poverty Line (BPL) lists prepared as in Census 2001 are given pensions.
• As a result, the budget for the NSAP has remained constant, at approximately ₹9,000 crore, and is steadily reducing in real terms.  

In Rajasthan:

• The Rajasthan Budget of 2023-24 will introduce a Minimum Income Guarantee and Pension law, offering 125 days of work through rural or urban employment guarantee and a social security pension of at least ₹1,000 per month. 
• The pension will increase by 15% annually.

About National Social Assistance Programme (NSAP):

• It is a centrally sponsored social security scheme that provides non-contributory income security to the elderly, widows and persons with disabilities from “BPL families”.
• The central government’s contribution to the three main schemes under this programme, the Indira Gandhi National Old Age Pension Scheme (IGNOAPS), the Indira Gandhi National Widow Pension Scheme (IGNWPS), and the Indira Gandhi National Disability Pension Scheme (IGNDPS), has remained the same over the last 15 years.
• The percentage share allotted to NSAP of the total expenditure budget has steadily declined.
• In Contrast, today, Rajasthan provides social security pensions to over 90 lakh people, with the NSAP covering only a small part of the pension of 10 lakh pensioners. 
  • And in this Budget, approximately 30% more than the entire national social security pensions budget under NSAP.

Criteria for social security schemes:

On Central level:

• Central assistance to States/Union Territories under NSAP is determined based on the BPL population of the State.
• For calculating the estimated number of beneficiaries under each scheme for each State, the central government relies on the population figures of Census 2001.
• The stringent criteria of providing disability pensions only to those with a disability level of 80% or more, has excluded lakhs of the disabled even within the obsolete BPL category.

In Rajasthan:

• In 2013, the Rajasthan government changed its eligibility criteria to expand the coverage of pensioners by making economically vulnerable women above 55, and men above 58 eligible for old-age pension. 
• It also permitted widows with adult children to receive a widow pension and included anyone with more than 40% disability to receive a disability pension. 
• As a result, the number of social security pensioners in the State grew from 14 lakh to above 90 lakh now, all of whom will come under the cover of the proposed law.

Ensure Minimum Conditions And Dignity:

• Rajasthan’s Minimum Income Guarantee and Pension law is a landmark and pioneering step that other states and the central government should follow.
• Need to take the necessary steps to change existing schemes into an Act that provides more credible entitlements, strengthens accountability and offers the same legal protection as other welfare laws.
• The Central government must recognise that pension is a right for work done by unorganized sector workers, who are contributing seminally to the GDP and economy all their lives. 
• Minimum Wage demand should be the recognition of the right to ensure minimum conditions for workers to live their retired lives with dignity.

News Source: The Hindu 

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Context: 

The fourth edition of the India-Japan bilateral Army exercise ‘Dharma Guardian’ began recently at Camp Imazu in Shiga province, Japan.

About Dharma Guardian Exercise:

• It is an annual exercise between the Indian Army and Japanese Ground Self Defence Force.
• The joint exercise schedule includes house interventions drills, raid on terrorist hideouts in semi urban terrain, combat first aid, unarmed combat & close quarter combat firing.
• Special emphasis is being laid on enhancing tactical skills to fight global terrorism and on enhancing interoperability between the forces and to promote Army to Army relations.

Other Military Exercises between India and Japan:

• Malabar: India and Japan with the United States and Australia participate in the naval wargaming exercise named Malabar.

• JIMEX (naval)

• SHINYUU Maitri (Air Force)
• Veer Guardian: The Air Forces of both countries had held the maiden air exercise ‘Veer Guardian’ in January 2023.

News Source: The Hindu 

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Context: 

The Reserve Bank of India (RBI) came out with draft norms for lending and borrowing of government securities with wider participation in the securities lending market. 

• It says that lending transactions shall be undertaken for a minimum period of one day and a maximum period of ninety days.

What is Government Security (G-Sec)?

• A Government Security (G-Sec) is a tradable instrument issued by the Central Government or the State Governments. 
• It acknowledges the Government’s debt obligation. 
• Such securities are short-term (usually called treasury bills, with original maturities of less than one year) or long-term (usually called Government bonds or dated securities with original maturity of one year or more). 
• In India, the Central Government issues both, treasury bills and bonds or dated securities while the State Governments issue only bonds or dated securities, which are called State Development Loans (SDLs). 
• G-Secs carry practically no risk of default and, hence, are called risk-free gilt-edged instruments.

Dated G-Secs:

• Dated G-Secs are securities that carry a fixed or floating coupon (interest rate) which is paid on the face value, on a half-yearly basis. 
• Generally, the tenor of dated securities ranges from 5 years to 40 years.

Repurchase (buyback) of G-Secs:

• Repurchase (buyback) of G-Secs is a process whereby the Government of India and State Governments buy back their existing securities, by redeeming them prematurely, from the holders. 
• The objectives of buyback can be 

1. 1. Reduction of cost (by buying back high coupon securities)
   2. Reduction in the number of outstanding securities
   3. Improving liquidity in the G-Secs market (by buying back illiquid securities) and infusion of liquidity in the system.

Trading in G-Secs:

• There is an active secondary market in G-Secs. 
• The securities can be bought/sold in the secondary market either through 
  • Negotiated Dealing System-Order Matching (NDS-OM) (anonymous online trading) or through
  • Over the Counter (OTC) and reported on NDS-OM
  • NDS-OM-Web  
  • Stock exchanges 

News Source: The Hindu 

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Context: 

On the eve of World Pangolin Day observed on February 18, a not-for-profit organization working on the international trade of animals and plants has brought out a fact sheet reporting that 1,203 pangolins have been found in illegal wildlife trade in India from 2018 to 2022.

Image Source: The Hindu

Findings of the publication, titled ‘India’s Pangolins Buried in Illegal Wildlife Trade’

• An analysis of illegal pangolin trade in India by TRAFFIC in 2018 reported poaching of 6,000 pangolins between 2009 and 2017.
• India reports a significant number of pangolin trafficking incidents reflected by seizures across the country. 
• They are poached mainly for international markets in China and southeast Asia for their scales, which are used as an ingredient in traditional medicines.
• Odisha reported the maximum number of incidents, with 154 Pangolins in 74 seizures followed by Maharashtra with 135 Pangolins.

About Pangolins:

• The Pangolin is the most trafficked animal in the world.
• Pangolins are the only mammals wholly-covered in scales and they use those scales to protect themselves from predators in the wild.  
• Pangolins eat ants, termites and larvae and are often known as the scaly anteater. 
• Eight species of pangolins are found on two continents namely Asia and Africa. They range from Vulnerable to Critically Endangered.
• Indian pangolin (Manis crassicaudata) and Chinese pangolin (Manis pentadactyla) are found in India.
• Protection: 

• • It is listed under the Schedule I Part I of the Wild Life (Protection) Act, 1972. 
  • It is listed in Appendix I of CITES in accordance with the International Union for the Conservation of Nature’s Red List.
  • Indian pangolin – Endangered; Chinese pangolin – Critically Endangered.

Source: The Hindu,  traffic.org

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Context:  

A recent footage of eight lions taking a midnight stroll in the streets of a Gujarat village raises concerns over approach to wildlife conservation.

Human Wildlife-Conflict:

• Human-wildlife conflict is defined by the World Wide Fund for Nature (WWF) as “any interaction between humans and wildlife that results in negative impacts of human social, economic or cultural life, on the conservation of wildlife populations, or on the environment.”

Issues in wildlife conservation:

• The concept of carrying capacity is understood only in context of the success of conservation with increasing the population of an endangered species.
  • Carrying capacity is a complex concept in wildlife sciences. It accounts for the ability of an ecosystem to satisfy an animal’s need for food, water, and mates.
• India’s wildlife policy hasn’t addressed the big follow-up question — what to do when conservation successes make animals compete with humans.
• Ensuring the well-being of the growing animal population has been bedevilled by a host of complications, including developmental policies and infrastructural projects such as roads and highways that often tear apart wildlife habitats.
• Many of India’s protected areas are sites of human-wildlife conflict.
• Translocation of problematic animals: Relocating supposed “problem” animals from a site of conflict to a new place is a mitigation technique used in the past, although recent research has shown that this approach can have detrimental impacts on species and is largely ineffective.

Objectives of wildlife conservation:

• Protection from exploitation of the target species
• Long-term preservation in a natural state
• Ensure a balance between needs of people residing inside/near parks and need of ecosystem

Steps taken by Government for Conservation:

• Schedule I of Wild Life (Protection) Act, 1972 lists protected species: The names of protected species of animals, birds and plants have been mentioned.
• Establishment of country-wide protected area network: The Union Government has established a country-wide protected area network for protection of these species under Wild Life (Protection) Act, 1972.
• Financial and technical assistance under CSCs: Financial and technical assistance is provided to the State/ UTs under the CSCs for providing better protection to wildlife including endangered species and improvement of its habitat.
• Empowerment of CBI under Wild Life (Protection) Act, 1972: Under the Wild Life (Protection) Act, 1972, the Central Bureau of Investigation (CBI) has been empowered to apprehend and prosecute wildlife offenders.
• Wildlife Crime Control Bureau (WCCB) for enforcement of law: The Wildlife Crime Control Bureau (WCCB) has been set up to ensure coordination among various officers and State Governments for the enforcement of law for control of poaching and illegal trade in wildlife and its products.

Way Forward 

• The report “A future for all” by WWF and UNEP suggests an approach of coexistence between humans and wildlife, and involvement of local communities, as it is not possible to wholly suppress human-wildlife conflict. 
• There is a need for education and awareness among the masses so that they are sensitized about the human-animal conflict.
• Ensuring that humans and animals have adequate space to thrive is the basis of human-wildlife conflict resolution.
• Protecting wild lands and natural habitats is key, but so is creating buffer zones between wild and urban areas.
• There is a need to rethink developments or projects that will result in the worsening of the conflict situation, especially in places where human-wildlife conflict can’t be managed, while ensuring that all development complements the needs of local people.

News Source: Indian Express 

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Context: 

Union Rural Development Minister has said that the MGNREGA Act should be amended to change the contribution of funds from 100% by the government to a 60­:40 split between the Centre and the States.

About Mahatma Gandhi National Rural Employment Guarantee Act (MGNREGA):

• MGNREGA is one of the largest work guarantee programmes in the world launched in 2005 by the Ministry of Rural Development.
• The primary objective of the scheme is to guarantee 100 days of employment in every financial year to adult members of any rural household willing to do public work-related unskilled manual work.
• Legal Right to Work: 

1. 1. Unlike earlier employment guarantee schemes, the act aims at addressing the causes of chronic poverty through a rights-based framework.
   2. At least one-third of beneficiaries have to be women.
   3. Wages must be paid according to the statutory minimum wages specified for agricultural labourers in the state under the Minimum Wages Act, 1948.

• Demand-Driven Scheme: The most important part of MGNREGA’s design is its legally-backed guarantee for any rural adult to get work within 15 days of demanding it, failing which an ‘unemployment allowance’ must be given.

• Decentralised planning: 

1. 1. There is an emphasis on strengthening the process of decentralisation by giving a significant role to Panchayati Raj Institutions (PRIs) in planning and implementing these works.
   2. The act mandates Gram Sabhas to recommend the works that are to be undertaken and at least 50% of the works must be executed by them.

Utility of MGNREGA 

• It has given some amount of bargaining power to the people or rural labourers and is working as a market mechanism.
• It has helped in reducing penury through providing off ­season employment and thereby improving household consumption among the invariably poor citizens who avail the scheme.
• It has been acting as insurance during monsoon deficient seasons, besides allowing for greater food security through increased productivity helped by the works generated.
• Thousands of migrant workers who left urban areas due to the lockdowns took up work under the MGNREGA in rural areas where demand for the menial but arduous work peaked.

Challenges in implementing the Scheme:

• Government reduced allocation by 30% for the scheme in the Union Budget, from 2.14% of overall outlay in FY23 to 1.33% in FY24.
• There is much evidence that Aadhaar­ based payments have neither reduced corruption nor reduced wage payment delays while creating hurdles for officials and workers during implementation.
• Delay and Insufficiency in Funds Dispersal: 

1. 1. Most states have failed to disburse wages within 15 days as mandated by MGNREGA. In addition, workers are not compensated for a delay in payment of wages.
   2. This has turned the scheme into a supply-based programme and subsequently, workers had begun to lose interest in working under it.

• Ineffective Role of PRI: With very little autonomy, gram panchayats are not able to implement this act in an effective and efficient manner.
• Large Number of Incomplete works: There has been a delay in the completion of works under MGNREGA and inspection of projects has been irregular. Also, there is an issue of quality of work and asset creation under MGNREGA.
• Fabrication of Job cards: There are several issues related to the existence of fake job cards, the inclusion of fictitious names, missing entries and delays in making entries in job cards.
• The scheme has still not transcended into creating more useful assets beyond roads and irrigation canals. 

Issues related to recent proposal:

• Considering the shrinkage in the States’ share of taxes following GST and the financial stresses during the pandemic, states will not be able to contribute 40% of funding which is suggested by the Union Minister for Rural Development.
• States taking up 40% of the funding burden would affect the payment of wages even further. 
• Besides, MGNREGS is a demand driven programme and salient especially in poorer States and it is incumbent upon the Centre to ensure its robust funding instead of putting the onus on individual States to do so.

Way Forward 

• Standing Committee Recommendations: The Standing Committee on Rural Development and Panchayati Raj in 2022 had recommended increased budgetary allocation and increased person-days to MGNREGA. 
• Immediate Work for Workers: State governments must ensure that public work gets started in every village. Workers turning up at the worksite should be provided work immediately, without much delay.
• Support for Migrant Workers: Local bodies must proactively reach out to returned and quarantined migrant workers and help those in need to get job cards.
• Empowerment of Gram Panchayats: Gram panchayats need to be provided with adequate resources, powers, and responsibilities to sanction works, provide work on demand, and authorise wage payments to ensure there are no delays in payments.
• Convergence with Other Government Schemes: MGNREGA should be converged with other schemes of the government. For example, Green India initiative, Swachh Bharat Abhiyan etc.

New Source: The Hindu

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