Context:

• Bihar is set to get a second tiger reserve in Kaimur district (Kaimur Wildlife Sanctuary) by the end of the year or early 2024.

More on News:

The State Forest Department officials said they were working to obtain the National Tiger Reserve Conservation Authority’s (NTCA) approval for declaring  Kaimur Wildlife Sanctuary a tiger reserve.

• The total tiger count in Bihar currently is 54.

About Kaimur Wildlife Sanctuary:

• The Sanctuary has two parts, viz. plains and plateau regions
• Kaimur Wildlife Sanctuary established in 1979, it features diverse forest types, rare flora and fauna.
  • Fauna: leopard, sloth bear, chital, sambar, wild pig, nilgai, ‘chowsingha’ (four-horned antelope) 
  • Flora:  Khair (Acacia catechu), Palas (Butea frondosa)
• Geographical Spreadof: Kaimur and Rohtas Districts.
• It  is the largest and first wildlife sanctuary to be declared in Bihar.
• Kaimur Wildlife Sanctuary is connected with Chandraprabha Wildlife Sanctuary of UP, which again has links with Sanjay Dubri Tiger Reserve and Panna landscape in Madhya Pradesh through stepping stone forests of Marihan, Sukrit, Chunar ranges and wildlife sanctuaries of Ranipur (UP),

News Source: The Hindu

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Context:

• The Kerala Government is considering approaching the Supreme Court to determine if the Governor can indefinitely withhold approval for eight Bills passed by the state assembly.

State Bills and the Power of the Governor:

Ordinary Bills:

• Article 200 of the Indian Constitution includes the process for a state bill to be presented to the Governor for assent.
• He may:
  • give his assent to the bill, the bill then becomes an act. 
  • withhold his assent to the bill, the bill then ends and does not become an act. 
  • return the bill for reconsideration of the House or Houses. 
  • reserve the bill for the consideration of the President. 
• If the bill is passed by the House or Houses again with or without amendments and presented to the governor for his assent, the governor must give his assent to the bill. Thus, the Governor enjoys only a ‘suspensive veto’.  He may reserve the bill for the consideration of the President.

Money Bills:

• Every money bill, after it is passed by the state legislature (unicameral or bicameral), is presented to the governor for his assent. 
• He has three alternatives: 
  • He may give his assent to the bill, the bill then becomes an act. 
  • He may withhold his assent to the bill, the bill then ends and does not become an act. 
  • He may reserve the bill for the consideration of the president. 
• Thus, the Governor cannot return a money bill for the reconsideration of the state legislature. Normally, the Governor gives his assent to a money bill as it is introduced in the state legislature with his previous permission.
• When the Governor reserves a money bill for the consideration of the President, he will not have any further role in the enactment of the bill. If the President gives his assent to the bill, it becomes an Act. 
  • This means that the assent of the Governor is no longer required.

Supreme Court’s Ruling: Rameshwar Prasad and Ors. vs Union Of India and Anr.

• The Supreme Court has ruled that the Governor is immune from court proceedings for any act done in the exercise of their powers under Article 361 of the Constitution.
• In this case, the Court ruled that while Article 361(1) grants immunity to the Governor, it does not take away the Court’s power to examine the validity of the Governor’s action, including on the grounds of mala fides. 
  • Thus, if the Governor’s refusal to grant assent is found to be unconstitutional, the Court can strike it down.

Global Precedents:

• United States: The President is empowered by the Constitution to refuse assent and return a Bill to the House but if the Houses again pass it with two thirds of each House the Bill becomes law.
• United Kingdom: Royal assent is necessary for a Bill to be passed by Parliament to become law and the crown has the power to withhold assent. But it is a dead letter. 
  • By practice and usage there is no power of veto exercised by the crown in England now. 

News Source: The Indian Express

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Context:

• A steeplechaser and a sprinter at the Delhi Athletics Championship fled dope testers, highlighting the deep-rooted doping menace in Indian athletics.

Doping Shadows- A Call for Anti-Doping Reform In Sports

• The rot runs so deep that syringes lying in the washrooms (viral Images and videos) during even school and university events are a common sight in the country.
• At the core of this corruption is the encouragement of coaches and parents for quick fixes, and the lethargy of India’s anti-doping machinery.
• The National Anti-Doping Agency (NADA) has been ineffective in preventing doping, with competitions in remote corners of India taking place without anti-doping officials present.

What are the ethics in Sports?

The World Anti-Doping Code states that there is an intrinsic value in sports that is the celebration of the human spirit, body, and mind, and is reflected in values other than winning or being the first in any sports game. 

• The spirit of sports includes ethics, fair play and honesty. Anti-doping practices are based on this ethical ground and are supported all through the world.
• Sports can teach values such as fairness, team building, equality, discipline, inclusion, perseverance and respect. 
• Sport has the power to provide a universal framework for learning values, thus contributing to the development of soft skills needed for responsible citizenship.

WADA report on anti-doping violations

• India is already one of the top-tier anti-doping violators in the world. 
• A World Anti-Doping Agency (WADA) report published in December 2022 revealed that India, with 59 instances, comes behind the perennial chart-topper, Russia, which has 135 cases in 2020.

What are the reasons for moral misconduct?

• Attraction of Sports:Young people are attracted to sport for a variety of reasons including quests for excitement, participation, health, competition, acknowledgment, prestige, and profit.
  • What differentiates elite athletes from their non-elite counterparts is their ability/talent, and their desire to compare and contest this against other elites.
• Pressure for performance enhancement: Depending on the sport practiced and the physical attributes it requires, the athletes will look for one or more of the following benefits of doping: recovering from an injury, increasing body recovery capacity after training, increasing muscle mass and strength, decreasing fat tissue, and increasing endurance.
• Excessive Wealth and Fame: Today sports mean sponsors, advertising contracts and money and for that some believe that any risk is worth taking. 
  • sports are no longer just sports; as sports become an industry, a business, and a reason for political or national pride, these facts can only lead to breaking any rules to win. 
• Advancement in Technology:
  • Although anti-doping controls are becoming more rigorous, doping and, very importantly, masking doping methods are also advancing, and these are usually one step ahead of doping detection techniques.

Implication

Since sports play an important role in physical and mental education and in promoting international understanding and cooperation, the widespread use of doping products and methods has consequences not only on the health of the athletes but also on the image of the sport.

Way forward

• Clean Sports Concept:
  • Conceptualizing doping as a sports integrity issue, we need to move away from the archaic and delimiting view of clean sport as a drug-free sport. 

• Behavioral Approaches:
  • Reconciliation of values-based education, awareness raising and anti-doping education within the broader scope of integrity, to support informed decision-making and personal agency.
  • The focus here should be on developing life skills that help to cope with stress and pressure without resorting to unethical means necessary to establish and maintain correct attitudes and behaviors.

• Anti-doping Strategy in Sports:
  • NADA must keep athletes in the Registered Testing Pool (RTP) and regular testing, more out of competition than during competition.
• Strict Legislation and Regulation: 
  • Stricter legislation with the involvement of authorities is required to prevent the spread, marketing and use of such substances.

Conclusion: 

“If excellence is achieved in the form of execution and performance, winning will frequently follow.” 

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Health, Nutrition and Population Trends of Scheduled Tribes

Context:

• In the recent study “Population, Health and Nutrition Profiles of Scheduled Tribes in India”, published by LANCET, researchers provide a detailed analysis of the health, nutrition, and population trends of Scheduled Tribes (STs) from 2016 to 2021.

About Study:

• The study offers an overview of the performance metrics for STs based on 129 parameters.
• Drawing from the National Family Health Surveys from 2016 and 2021, the study finds that there is a noticeable improvement in the health and welfare metrics of STs.
• The 2011 Census recorded over 104 million (8.6%) STs spread across 705 recognised ethnic groups.

Findings:

• Non-STs vs STs:
  • In 2021, the non-­ST population outperformed the ST population in 81 out of 129 indicators.
  • The 48 indicators on which STs surpassed non-­STs include overall gender balance, gender balance at birth, use of family planning methods, etc.
• Under Five Mortality Rate: It was alarmingly high, with 50 out of every 1,000 children not reaching their fifth birthday.
• Child Malnutrition: More than 40% of ST children under five were stunted, with a similar percentage being underweight.
• New Challenges for STs: From 2016 to 2021, there was a significant rise in high blood pressure levels among men and women aged 15–49.
• Major Improvements: 
  • Access to improved sanitation facilities. 
  • More births were being attended to by skilled health personnel.
  • Full vaccination coverage among children aged 12–23 months.
  • The civil registration of births increased from 76% in 2016 to 88% in 2021.

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Context:

• The Ministry of Home Affairs extended the Armed Forces Special Powers Act (AFSPA) in parts of Nagaland and Arunachal Pradesh for another six months.

About AFSPA:

• Background: The Act in its original form was promulgated by the British in response to the Quit India movement in 1942. After Independence, Prime Minister Jawaharlal Nehru decided to retain the Act, which was first brought in as an ordinance and then notified as an Act in 1958.AFSPA provides for special powers for the armed forces that can be imposed by the Centre or the Governor of a state, on the state or parts of it, after it is declared “disturbed’’ under Section 3.
• It has been used in areas where militancy has been prevalent.

• The Centre can take a decision to repeal AFSPA after getting a recommendation from the state government.
• Any person arrested or taken into custody may be handed over to the officer in charge of the nearest police station along with a report detailing the circumstances that led to the arrest.

What attempts have been made to repeal AFSPA in the past?

• 2000: Manipur activist Irom Sharmila began a hunger-strike, which would continue for 16 years, against AFSPA.
•  2005:  The Justice Jeevan Reddy Commission submitted its report in 2005, saying AFSPA had become a symbol of oppression and recommending its repeal. 
  • The Second Administrative Reforms Commission, headed by Veeerapa Moily, endorsed these recommendations.

Criticism against AFSPA:

• The AFSPA has been called draconian, as it gives sweeping powers to the armed forces such as:
  • It allows them to open fire, even causing death, against any person in contravention to the law or carrying arms and ammunition.
  • It gives them powers to arrest individuals without warrants, on the basis of “reasonable suspicion”, and also search premises without warrants.
  • It provides blanket impunity to security personnel involved in such operations: There can be no prosecution or legal proceedings against them without the prior approval of the Centre.

Supreme Court Views on AFSPA:

• In Naga People’s Movement of Human Rights v Union of India, 1997), a five-judge Constitution Bench unanimously upheld the AFSPA. 
• Time -Period: Although the court agreed that the Constitution did provide for deployment of armed forces in aid of civil power, it held that such deployment can be permitted for a “temporary period” and “until a situation of normalcy was restored”.
• Opinion of State Government: The court said that while declaring a region as “disturbed area”, the opinion of the state government must be taken and there must be a periodic review of the situation.
• Autonomy of State Administration: The conferment of the said power on the Central Government regarding declaration of areas to be disturbed areas does not, however, result in taking over of the state administration by the Army or by other armed forces of the Union,” the court outlined.
• Use of Minimum Force: The court also cautioned that the officer in the armed forces shall use minimum force required for effective action against the person/persons acting in contravention of the prohibitory order.

News Source: Hindustan times

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Context:

• This article is based on a news “Sustainable development at heart of Smart Cities Mission, has lessons for Global South: report” which was published in the Indian Express. A report titled “Smart Cities Mission, India: Localising Sustainable Development Goals” prepared by the Union Housing and Urban Affairs Ministry and UN-Habitat, was unveiled during the annual Smart Cities Conclave in Indore.

Key Highlights of the report On Smart Cities Mission

• First comprehensive evaluation: It represents the first comprehensive attempt to evaluate the projects under the Smart Cities Mission(SCM).
• Alignment with SDGs: More than 70% of projects within the SCM align with the United Nations’ Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs) related to cities, clean water and sanitation, clean energy, and economic growth. 
  • The Smart Cities Mission (SCM) projects have played a significant role, to varying degrees, in advancing 15 out of the 17 SDGs.

• • The SDGs consist of 17 targets, which are part of the 2030 Agenda for Sustainable Development. This agenda was adopted by all United Nations member states, including India, in 2015. SDG11: Nearly 44% were in line with the aim of SDG 11 — to make cities and human settlements inclusive, safe, resilient and sustainable.
• SDG6: 13.3% of Smart Cities Mission projects contribute to SDG 6 (Clean water and sanitation), 8.6% to SDG 7 (Affordable and clean energy), and 6.4% to SDG 8 (Decent work and economic growth).

Need of Smart Cities Mission: 

• Increasing urbanization of India: Cities accommodate nearly 31% of India’s current population and contribute 63% of GDP (Census 2011). 
  • It is projected that by 2030, India will have around 60 cities with populations exceeding 1 million inhabitants, and 6 megacities with populations surpassing 10 million.
  • Urban areas are expected to house 40% of India’s population and contribute 75% of India’s GDP by 2030. 
• Unplanned urbanization: The Smart Cities Mission is a significant initiative, because most of Indian cities have grown in an unplanned manner and they are not fully equipped to deliver basic services like housing, water and sanitation to the growing number of residents. 
• • In 2019, New Delhi and Mumbai ranked 118th and 119th respectively, on the Economist Intelligence Unit’s Global Liveability Index 2019 that covered 140 cities.
• Strain on infrastructure and public services: Increased urbanization is exerting immense pressure on urban areas to provide essential resources.
  •  Megacities like Delhi and Mumbai face challenges due to heavy rainfall, resulting in issues like power outages and prolonged internet disruptions. .
• Technology-led solutions for urban problems: Today, urban services delivery is hindered by inadequate funding, traditional legacy systems, lack of data and restrictive policies and regulation. 
• With constrained resources, rising inequity and climate change, technology-led innovation can be address in smart cities mission.

What are the challenges in Smart Cities Mission?

• Misleading Picture: As per the report of the Parliamentary Standing Committee on Housing and Urban Affairs 2023, 32 Smart Cities have completed more than the number of projects planned for implementation. 
• On the other hand, the remaining 68 Smart Cities are yet to meet the project completion targets, wherein the performance of some cities is quite dismal. Ex–Meghalaya has not completed even a single project.

• Undermining financial autonomy of local bodies: The Special Purpose Vehicles (SPVs) are executing the smart cities mission through a Public-Private Partnership (PPP) model.
  • These SPVs were intended to streamline the establishment of smart cities and minimize political complexities. 
  • In contrast, this has led to a significant disruption and undermining of the governance structure of Urban Local Bodies (ULBs). 
• Lack of transparency: There is an absence of transparency when it comes to disclosing information and pertinent specifics related to proposals and projects. 
  • Beyond the impressive statistics used to highlight project achievements, there is a notable scarcity of detailed information available to the public.
• Conditional assistance: It has conditions and a “reform” agenda that incentivizes ULBs to prioritize competition. 
  • They are evaluated based on their performance in scheme implementation, which places local governments under pressure to secure additional resources. 
  • Consequently, ULBs find themselves compelled to invest in projects that rank lowest in priority for their cities and are not aligned with their specific needs.
• Functional autonomy of  ULBs: After over 25 years, ULBs remain ill-equipped to govern in most urban areas. 
  • Most of the functions remain under the control of the state governments and at best, sanitation and basic service provisions are under local bodies’ control, Mumbai and some other cities being an exception. 
• Absence of  Master Plans: A recent report by NITI Ayog titled Reforms in Urban Planning Capability in India claims that master plans are absent in 65 percent of the 7,933 recognised urban entities.
  • It is a tool for determining the proportions of land and infrastructure required for various urban uses.
• Exclusion of Census Towns: There are a large number of Census Towns (3894) which are not covered under Smart Cities Mission. 
  • Census Towns are mostly governed by Village Panchayats, which lack resources and institutional capacity but have the potential to act as a bridge between rural and urban areas. 
  • Incorporation of census towns in the fold of urban development strategy will unlock the possibilities of utilizing urbanization as a catalyst for rural development.

Also read: Housing for All

Way Forward 

• Budgetary allocations: Policy frameworks/guidelines need to be included in the smart cities mission along with mechanisms to provide funding support to public space projects in cities.
  • Financing cities for developing sustainable and climate-resilient infrastructure like developing non-motorized transport infrastructure, increased green cover, developing urban forests, etc.
•  Emphasizing local economic development: Frameworks/guidelines need to be developed to facilitate the development of city economic development plans.
  •  State/ City Governments should be incentivized for developing and adopting such a framework.
• Enabling evidence-based planning – The cities under Smart Cities Mission India are implementing multiple digital solutions including Integrating Command Control Centers.
  • These digital solutions are also collecting large volumes of data. 
  • Leveraging such data, States/Cities may be encouraged to formulate evidence-based policies/guidelines that will enable better urban development.
• Autonomy to ULBs: Principles of decentralization, and empowerment of urban local bodies through financial support and autonomy, coupled with the participation of its citizenry are necessary.
• Reliability of utility services: For any smart city in the world, the focus is on the reliability of utility services, whether it is electricity, water, telephone or broadband services. 
  • Smart cities should have universal access to electricity 24/7; this is not possible with the existing supply and distribution system. 
  • Cities need to shift towards renewable sources and focus on green buildings and green transport to reduce the need for electricity.
• Robust monitoring mechanism:  Ground verification of projects by a team consisting of the Mission Director, State representative and local Member of Parliament and MLA.

Conclusion

Smart Cities Mission in India, as highlighted in the report, showcases a positive impact on sustainable urban development, aligning with global goals. However, challenges such as project disparities and governance issues need addressing. Focusing on local autonomy, transparency, and evidence-based planning can enhance the mission’s effectiveness for creating resilient and inclusive urban spaces.

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