12 July 2023 : The Hindu Editorial Notes PDF
The Hindu Editorial
12-July-2023
Daily Current Affairs For UPSC ,The Hindu Editorial Summary
1. Demographic transition and change in women’s lives.
Topic: GS3 – demographic dividend.
Important statistics and demographic transition:
- India’s population has grown from 340 million at Independence to 1.4 billion, fueled by improvements in public health and medical advancements.
- Life expectancy for men has increased from 56 years in 1941 to 69 years today, leading to a decline in mortality rates.
- The decline in mortality rates led to population growth until fertility rates also began to decline, with the Total Fertility Rate falling from 5.7 in 1950 to 2.1 in 2019.
- The demographic transition has brought significant changes in the lives of Indian women.
Changes brought by The demographic transition in the lives of Indian women:
- Decreased fertility: With the decline in mortality rates and improved public health, fertility rates have also decreased. Women now have fewer children, which has implications for their roles and responsibilities.
- Shift in family dynamics: As families have fewer children, ensuring the birth of at least one son becomes more challenging. This can create social and cultural pressure, as there is a preference for sons in many communities. This has led to practices such as sex-selective abortions and the neglect of sick daughters.
- Increased education and employment opportunities: With a decline in active mothering due to smaller family sizes, women have more time and opportunities for education and employment. This has resulted in improved educational attainment among women and their increased participation in the labor force.
- Persistence of early marriage and childbearing: Despite the overall fertility decline, early marriage and childbearing remain prevalent in many parts of India. This hinders women’s educational and career prospects, as they often have to prioritize their roles as wives and mothers at a young age.
- Challenges for skilled employment: Women who enter the labor force after their peak childcare demands have ended often face challenges in securing skilled employment. By the time they are available for work, they may have missed opportunities for gaining specific skills, leaving them with limited options for skilled jobs.
- Aging population and widowhood: With increasing life expectancy, the proportion of elderly women in the population has grown. Women generally marry older men and are more likely to outlive their husbands. As a result, a significant number of older women are widowed and may face financial challenges and dependence on their children, mainly sons.
- Gender disparities and empowerment: Despite progress in certain areas, gender disparities persist in India. Women still face barriers to education, employment, and decision-making power. Cultural norms and patriarchal values continue to shape women’s lives and limit their opportunities for empowerment.
What measures can be taken:
- Education and awareness: Promote education and awareness about the importance of gender equality, women’s rights, and the benefits of empowering women. This includes initiatives to eliminate gender-based discrimination and biases in educational institutions and society as a whole.
- Family planning and reproductive health: Strengthen family planning programs and reproductive health services to ensure access to contraceptives, safe abortion services, and reproductive healthcare for women. Empower women to make informed decisions about their reproductive health and family size.
- Skill development and vocational training: Provide skill development and vocational training programs tailored to the needs and aspirations of women. This includes promoting access to technical and professional education, entrepreneurship training, and financial literacy to enhance their employability and economic independence.
- Encourage women’s participation in the labor force: Create supportive policies and programs that enable women to enter and remain in the labor force. This includes measures such as affordable and quality childcare facilities, flexible work arrangements, equal pay for equal work, and protection against workplace harassment and discrimination.
- Ending child marriage and promoting girls’ education: Implement and enforce laws against child marriage and promote access to quality education for girls. Provide scholarships, incentives, and infrastructure improvements to ensure girls have equal opportunities for education and delay marriage until they are ready.
- Social support and safety: Strengthen social support systems for women, particularly for vulnerable groups such as widows, single mothers, and survivors of gender-based violence. This includes the provision of shelters, counseling services, legal aid, and helpline numbers to ensure their safety and well-being.
- Media and cultural interventions: Promote positive and gender-sensitive media portrayals of women, challenging traditional stereotypes and harmful norms. Use media campaigns and cultural interventions to raise awareness about women’s rights, empowerment, and the value of gender equality.
- Partnerships and collaborations: Foster partnerships between government, civil society organizations, and private sector entities to collectively work towards gender equality and women’s empowerment. Collaborate with international organizations and leverage global best practices and experiences in promoting gender equality.
Model question: Discuss the impact of demographic transition on the lives of women in India. Highlight the challenges faced by women and examine the measures that can be undertaken to empower women and ensure gender equality in the context of demographic changes. (20 Marks).
Source: The Hindu, 12 July 2023, page 6.
2. Changes to conservation laws must be backed by scientific evidence
Topic: GS3 – environment conservation.
Why in the news?
- The Forest (Conservation) Amendment Bill, 2023, is currently under consideration by a Joint Committee of Parliament in India.
- The bill addresses the challenges of balancing industrial development and forest conservation.
- India has committed to increasing forest cover to 33% and adding a carbon sink of 2.5 to 3 billion tons of CO2 by 2030.
- The existing Forest (Conservation) Act, 1980, was deemed insufficient to incentivize private agro-forestry and tree plantation activities.
- In this light, it is important to understand the issues associated with Forest conservation act 1980 and proposed amendments.
Issues with Forest conservation act 1980:
- Ambiguity in the definition of forests: The Act does not provide a clear definition of what constitutes a forest. This lack of clarity leads to disputes and varying interpretations, making it challenging to effectively regulate and protect forest areas.
- Weak enforcement and monitoring: The Act suffers from weak enforcement and monitoring mechanisms, resulting in inadequate protection and illegal encroachments on forest land. Limited resources and capacity of forest departments hinder effective implementation.
- Excessive bureaucracy and delays: The Act requires multiple levels of bureaucratic clearances and permissions, leading to significant delays in obtaining approvals for projects and forest land diversion.
- Lack of community participation: The Act does not sufficiently involve local communities and indigenous people in decision-making processes regarding forest land use. This exclusion leads to conflicts and challenges in sustainable forest management, as communities are directly dependent on forests for their livelihoods.
- Inadequate compensation and rehabilitation: The Act does not adequately address the issue of compensation and rehabilitation for communities displaced or affected by forest land diversion. This leads to social and economic challenges for affected communities and contributes to conflicts.
- Insufficient focus on ecological and biodiversity conservation: The Act primarily focuses on the commercial and industrial aspects of forest land use, often neglecting the ecological and biodiversity conservation priorities. This results in the degradation and loss of critical habitats and ecosystems.
- Limited emphasis on participatory forest management: The Act does not prioritize or provide a framework for participatory forest management, where local communities actively engage in sustainable forest conservation and livelihood activities. This hinders community-based initiatives and the potential for co-management of forests.
Proposed amendments to Forest conservation act 1980:
- Extension of the definition of “forest land”:The definition of “forest land” will be extended to include land that is recorded as a forest in government records on or after October 25, 1980. This will ensure that all forest land, irrespective of when it was notified as such, is protected under the Act.
- Exemption of certain categories of land from the purview of the Act: The proposed amendments exempt certain categories of land from the purview of the Act, such as land within 100 km of India’s border needed for national security projects, small roadside amenities, and public roads leading to a habitation.
- Streamlining of the clearance process: The proposed amendments streamline the clearance process by providing for a single window clearance system and reducing the number of documents required to be submitted for clearance.
- Imposition of compensatory levies:The proposed amendments impose compensatory levies on the use of forest land for non-forest purposes. The levies will be used to afforest other areas and to mitigate the environmental impact of the use of forest land.
The proposed amendments to the Forest (Conservation) Act, 1980 are still under consideration by the government. If they are approved, they will come into force after being notified in the Official Gazette.
Issues with the proposed amendments:
- The exemption of certain categories of land from the purview of the Act could lead to the destruction of forests: The proposed amendments exempt certain categories of land from the purview of the Act, such as land within 100 km of India’s border needed for national security projects, small roadside amenities, and public roads leading to a habitation. This could lead to the destruction of forests, as these areas are often important for wildlife and biodiversity.
- The streamlining of the clearance process could make it easier to use forest land for non-forest purposes: The proposed amendments streamline the clearance process by providing for a single window clearance system and reducing the number of documents required to be submitted for clearance. This could make it easier to use forest land for non-forest purposes, without proper scrutiny of the environmental impact.
- The imposition of compensatory levies could be insufficient to mitigate the environmental impact of the use of forest land:The proposed amendments impose compensatory levies on the use of forest land for non-forest purposes. However, these levies may be insufficient to mitigate the environmental impact of the use of forest land.
Way forward:
- The definition of “forest land” could be clarified to ensure that only areas that are genuinely important for forest conservation are included: This could be done by providing clear criteria for what constitutes a forest, and by ensuring that these criteria are based on scientific evidence.
- The exemption of certain categories of land from the purview of the Act could be limited to those areas that are absolutely essential for national security or other critical purposes: This would help to ensure that the exemption is not abused and that forests are not destroyed unnecessarily.
- The streamlining of the clearance process could be done in a way that does not compromise the environmental impact assessment: This could be done by ensuring that the environmental impact assessment is conducted by qualified experts and that the results of the assessment are taken into account in the decision-making process.
- The imposition of compensatory levies could be made more stringent:This could be done by increasing the levies or by making sure that the levies are actually used to mitigate the environmental impact of the use of forest land.
- Public consultation: The government should hold public consultations with stakeholders to get their input on the proposed amendments. This would help to ensure that the amendments are in line with the needs of the people and that they are not unduly harmful to the environment.
- Independent monitoring: The government should set up an independent monitoring mechanism to ensure that the proposed amendments are implemented effectively and that they do not have a negative impact on the environment.
Model question: Examine the key issues addressed by the amendment to the Forest conservation act 1980 and the potential challenges in their implementation. Suggest measures to ensure effective forest management and sustainable development in light of the proposed amendments.”
Source: The Hindu, 12 July 2023, page 6.
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