Context

The 132nd Report on Election Process and Reform, presented to the Rajya Sabha, recommends reducing the minimum age for candidacy with the voting age of 18.

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Constituent Assembly Debate

• Amendment Proposal by Durgabai Deshmukh: Reduction of the minimum age to enter Rajya Sabha from 35 to 30. 
• Basis of this Age Reduction: Wisdom does not depend solely on age. Modern education is good enough to make the youth aware towards their civic rights and duties. 
• Supported By: Socialist leader H V Kamath supported lowering the minimum age for entering either House of Parliament (age of 21). Example: 
  • William Pitt entered the UK parliament at 21 and became the Prime Minister of the country at 24. 
  • Shibban Lal Saxena (arrested for organizing a hartal in Kanpur to protest the Jallianwala Bagh massacre). 
  • Tajamul Hussain (barrister and two-time Rajya Sabha MP). 
• Outcome: Amendment accepted and Article 84 and 173 of the Indian Constitution prescribes 25 and 30 years as the lower limit for entry into the lower and upper houses respectively at both the Centre and in State Assemblies.

Global Youth Participation and Associated Challenges

• Active Involvement: Young people are proactive about their rights and responsibilities.
  • Example: International movement such as “Fridays for Future” advance climate change dialogue globally was started by young activists like Greta Thunberg at age of 15.
• Challenge in Accessing Rights: Its 2018 report highlights challenges faced by youth in accessing their civil, political, social, economic and cultural rights. 
• Very Less Representation: Less than 2% of parliamentarians worldwide are under 30, indicating a lack of youth representation.
• No alignment with the Minimum Voting Age: The age of candidacy for national parliaments, and especially for higher office, is not always aligned with the minimum voting age.

Indian Youth Participation

• Lyngdoh Committee (2012) Recommendations: Set upper age limits for student union elections. The average age of student leaders in 2019 was 22.5 years. 
  • In 1979, Laxmi Shankar Ojha got elected to the Allahabad University Students Union (AUSU) at the age of 52. 
• Panchayat Level: Younger individuals (21 years and above) finding representation across states at the level of Village Pradhan, Member of Zilla Parishad, Block Pramukh, etc. 
• Parliament Representation: Decline in young MPs (25-40 years) from 26% in the first Lok Sabha to 12% in the 17th Lok Sabha. 
• Percentage of Population Below 35 Years:  India is a “young country” where 65 per cent of India’s population is below 35 years of age.
• Number of Individuals Aged 18 to 35: A whopping 600 million people in India are aged between 18 to 35 today. India’s median age stands at an exciting 28.2 years.
• Disparity in Legislative Age Requirements: The minimum age to enter the Rajya Sabha (30 years) is more than the country’s median age. This needs introspection and immediate legislative correction.

Need for Youth Involvement in Politics

• Recommendations of the 132nd Report on Election Process Reform: he report suggests lowering the minimum age to contest elections anywhere in India to 18 years, at par with India’s minimum age to vote. 
• Lowering of Minimum Age Requirement: European nations such as Bulgaria, the Czech Republic, and Ireland have set lower minimum age requirements for candidates.
• Election Commission’s Stance on Age Requirement: The Election Commission does not favor reducing the age requirement for membership of Parliament and State Legislatures and still maintains that 18-year-olds do not possess the necessary experience and maturity for these responsibilities. 
• Plato’s View on Political Competence: Plato held that political competence and maturity come only with age
• Minimum Age Limit at the Constituent Assembly: It was similar reasoning that led to 35 years as the initial minimum age limit for entering the Rajya Sabha at the Constituent Assembly.
• Introduction of Private Members Bill: A Private Member’s Bill was introduced in the Rajya Sabha in Dec 2022.
  • It seeks to amend Article 84 and Article 173 of the Constitution to reduce the minimum age to contest elections to 21 years from the current 25 years at the Centre and state.
• Legal Age of Marriage: The legal age of marriage is 21 years for men and the Prohibition of Child Marriage (Amendment) Bill, 2021 aims to legalize age of women for marriage is 21 at par with men.

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Conclusion

Like other modern democracies worldwide, India should revisit age requirements.  The age of candidacy has long been a topic of debate. The historical decisions laid a foundation, current global and national contexts  

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Context

Recently, the United Nations Climate Change Executive Secretary emphasized the urgency of the next two years in addressing climate change.

• The complex interplay between development, sustainability, and climate change mitigation poses significant challenges amid environmental concerns and socioeconomic aspirations.

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Renewable Energy Challenges in India

• Limited Understanding of Linkages: The linkages between the pathways of development, sustainability, and climate change mitigation are far from well-understood. 
• Unsustainable Development Models: Our current models of development drive greenhouse gas (GHG) emissions, are unsustainable, and inequitable. 
• India’s Ambitious Net Zero GHG Emissions Target: Although India aims to achieve Net Zero GHG emissions by 2070, mainly led by a massive transition to large-scale renewable energy, the implications of such a transition on developmental or sustainability outcomes are unclear at the local and national levels.

Examining Solar Parks in India

• Role of Large-Scale Solar Parks in India: Large-scale solar parks are central to India’s mitigation strategy, with potential implications for local and national development and sustainability goals.
• Challenge of Land Requirement: India has 214 sq. km of land under solar parks, but some studies estimate that it may need 50,000-75,000 sq. km, which is about half the size of Tamil Nadu, to achieve our Net Zero targets.
• Losses and Protests in Bhadla: In Bhadla, farmers have lost sacred common lands called Orans and pastoralists are faced with shrinking grazing lands, forcing some to sell their livestock at throwaway prices. 
  • Such losses have led to protests demanding recognition of common land under the Forest Rights Act (FRA), 2006. 
• Economic Benefit to Farmers  in Pavagada: Many farmers in Pavagada were content with the steady annual income they received by leasing out land for solar parks.
  • This land was drought-stricken and did not yield significant agricultural income. 
• Water Requirement for Solar Panel Maintenance: Solar panels require large amounts of water for their regular cleaning.
• Lack of Integration of Nearby Water Availability: Yet, our current national-level estimates for the land available for solar parks do not account for the availability of nearby water sources.
• Resource Competition: Solar parks may compete for essential resources like water and land with agriculture, potentially impacting food security and biodiversity.
• Biodiversity Loss:  Impacts on biodiversity loss with the construction of large-scale solar parks are also location-specific, and under-researched.
  • For instance, open natural systems such as deserts provide essential ecosystem services that, if disturbed, would cause ecological damage and even contribute to climate change.

Different Approaches

• Community Ownership: Community ownership models and involvement in planning processes can promote equitable development and revenue generation from solar parks.
• Exemption from Impact Assessment: Solar and wind park development is exempted from Environmental and Social Impact Assessment.
• Need for Revision and Strengthening of Legal Provisions: The legal and regulatory architecture must be revised and strengthened to limit adverse social and environmental consequences.
• Local Governance Engagement: Involving local governance units in the planning and siting processes can provide an opportunity to align local developmental objectives with solar park development.
• Enhancing Environmental and Equity Outcomes: Wasteland classification and recognition of commons under the Forest Rights Act could improve environmental and equity outcomes.
• Integrating Renewable Energy and Agriculture: Encouraging research and experimentation with agri voltaics can integrate renewable energy production with agriculture, enhancing sustainability.

Other Challenges and Opportunities

• Avian Impact of Wind Energy:  Similar issues abound with other mitigation technologies. Wind energy, for instance, has adverse consequences on bird ecosystems. 
• Employment Dynamics of Large-scale Renewable Energy Projects: Large-scale renewable energy projects could have positive employment outcomes at the district level, but they lead to massive employment shifts between sectors at the national level.
• Skilling Programs for Socioeconomic Protection: Adequate skilling and training programmes targeting the unskilled and poorer populations are essential to protect them.

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Conclusion

We need to  align our technological, economic, and institutional structures to maximise synergies between sustainability, climate change mitigation, and development related outcomes.

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Context

Recently, the Supreme Court has given its verdict that the use of abusive language on OTT platforms cannot be regarded as a criminal offense, as it would lead to an infraction of free speech and violate artistic creativity.

• The coexistence of freedom of speech and cultural sensitivity presents a complex and ongoing debate about whether under the guise of freedom of speech, we can use foul language that may be affecting the cultural values of people.

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Exploring the Dynamics of OTT Platforms in Indian Entertainment

• OTT Platforms: OTT platforms are audio and video hosting and streaming services which started out as content hosting platforms
• Emergence of OTT Platforms: The Over-the-Top (OTT) platform has revolutionized India’s entertainment landscape and has created a niche for itself among audiences. 
• Embracing Diversity and Inclusivity: It is considered to be progressive, realistic, has variety and also caters to the needs of all age groups. 
• Proliferation of Abusive Language: However, there has been a lot of noise about the proliferation of abusive language in many of the web series that have raised a lot of general and even legal objections.

Justification of Abusive Language on OTT Platforms

• Impact in OTT Content Perception: The use of abusive language in OTT content shapes how audiences perceive the characters, themes and overall tenor of the content.
• Commercial Viability and Audience Engagement: It may add authenticity to certain narratives or characters. If nothing else, it has become a fashion statement and is more saleable. 
• Reflecting Existing Societal Norms: The onus of the use of such language in society does not lie on OTT, it reflects something already present, but it has certainly contributed to making it more prominent. 

Major Problems Associated with Using Abusive Language on OTT Platforms

• Negative Externalities on Society: It can be categorized as a demerit good with a high order of negative externality. 
• Vulnerability of the Young Generation:
  • Early Exposure to Abusive Language: The young generation, at tender ages, is exposed to such language and easily gets influenced by it. 
  • Implications for Professional and Academic Standards: It can become pervasive in everyday usage, hindering effective articulation of thoughts and ideas and challenging the professional and academic standards.
• Influence of OTT on Family and Kids:
  • Impact on Social Interactions:It can be detrimental to social interactions and emotional well-being, hampering overall personality development. 
  • Limits of Statutory Warnings in OTT Content: Simply providing a statutory warning of the ‘content not suitable for a certain age’, does not complete the responsibility of the makers. 
  • Pervasive Nature of Internet Access: With the availability of the internet and its easy access via gadgets in every home, it is practically not possible to refrain kids from watching such content every time.
  • Changing Dynamics in Family Structures:  With the nuclear family setups and working parents’ culture gaining strength, it becomes even more difficult.

Duality of India’s Education Reforms

• Introduction of the National Education Policy: We in India have reformed the education system with the introduction of the National Education Policy and Indian Knowledge System. 
• Upholding Indian Ethos: It thrives on providing a high-quality education system rooted in Indian ethos contributing to transforming India into a value-based superpower.
• Coexistence of Cultural Revival and Language Standards: So, while at one place when we are trying to imbibe and revive our rich heritage, at the same time, we are defending, if not promoting, the use of indecent language.
• Ethical Considerations Regarding Foul Language Usage: Some viewers avoid using such foul language, as they consider it to be morally incorrect and undignified. 

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Conclusion

By promoting dialogue, advocating for ethical content creation, and instilling values of respect and dignity, we can strive towards a media landscape that enriches rather than diminishes our cultural heritage and societal fabric.

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