5 January 2024 : The Hindu Editorial Notes PDF

The Hindu Editorial

5-January-2024

1. Breaking new ground the Kerala way.

Topic: GS2 – Governance – Government Policies – Interventions for development in various sectors The Kerala Urban Commission’s formation and urbanization challenges are significant for UPSC, reflecting policy shifts in urban development.

Context:

The formation of the Kerala Urban Commission marks a crucial step in addressing urbanization challenges in the state. With a diverse mandate and expert members, it aims to provide a 25-year roadmap, potentially serving as a model for other highly urbanized states in India.

Overview:

• After 38 years, a new Urban Commission is formed in Kerala, reminiscent of the National Commission on Urbanisation led by Charles Correa during Rajiv Gandhi’s tenure.
• The 74th Constitutional Amendment marked a positive shift in urban development policies, emphasizing private initiative and investment.

Need for Urban Commission:

• Over 56% of the global population now resides in cities, impacting climate change and leading to various urban challenges.
• Urbanization has caused spatial and temporal changes, including issues like pollution, housing, water, and sanitation challenges.
• The process of city development has become a significant driver of capital accumulation. 

Historical Urban Development in India:

• Nehruvian era (pre-1980s) focused on centralized planning and master plans, but the approach failed as manufacturing, the driving force, declined.
• The 1990s witnessed the privatization of cities, emphasizing real estate and competitiveness, leading to project-oriented development.

Challenges in Contemporary Urban Development:

• Piecemeal approaches like Swachh Bharat Mission, AMRUT, HRIDAY, and PMAY have fallen short of desired results.
• Governance in cities faces challenges, with subjects from the 12th Schedule yet to be transferred, and debates about appointing managers instead of elected officials.

Complex Financial Architecture:

• The Fifteenth Finance Commission recommends grants to cities based on property tax collection performance, linking it to the State’s Goods and Services Tax.
• The financial architecture reflects over-centralization in city affairs. 

Kerala Urban Commission:

• Formed in 2024, the commission includes members like M. Sathishkumar, Janaki Nair, and K.T. Ravindran.
• The 12-month mandate aims to address urbanization challenges in the context of Kerala’s estimated 90% urbanized population.
• The commission’s role is to develop a 25-year roadmap for urban development.

Significance for Other States:

• While a national commission was desired, the Kerala Urban Commission can serve as a model for other highly urbanized states like Gujarat, Maharashtra, Tamil Nadu, and Punjab.
• The process of establishing and progressing the urban commission in Kerala can offer valuable lessons for other states grappling with high urban populations. 

PYQ: The states in India seem reluctant to empower urban local bodies both functionally as well as financially. Comment. (150 words/10m) (UPSC CSE (M) GS-2 2023)

Practice Question: In the context of rising urbanization challenges, discuss the significance of the newly formed Kerala Urban Commission and its potential implications for urban development policies in India. (150 words/10 m)

2. Is higher education out of touch with the skill requirements in the job market?

Topic: GS2 – Social Justice – Education  Crucial for UPSC: Examining India’s graduate employability crisis, NEP impact, and systemic issues in higher education for comprehensive understanding.

Context:

India faces a critical challenge in graduate employability, worsened by online learning and pre-existing structural issues in higher education. The National Education Policy’s impact is questioned, emphasizing the need for targeted equity actions and improved quality in vocational training institutions.

Employability Challenges:

• Reports highlight that less than half of India’s graduates were employable in 2021, with a rising unemployment rate among graduates.
• Concerns arise over the quality of online education and employability of students graduating during the pandemic.

Impact of Online Learning:

• Santosh Mehrotra acknowledges that employability issues existed before the online learning trend.
• Massification of higher education between 2006 and 2018 led to a proliferation of private colleges, affecting education quality.
• Online education exacerbates the problem, causing learning losses and downsizing of ed-tech companies.

Structural Issues in Higher Education:

• Unemployment rates among graduates and postgraduates increased significantly between 2012 and 2021, indicating systemic problems.
• Lack of regulatory capacity for private colleges and insufficient R&D expenditure contribute to the challenges.

Role of Higher Education in Job Creation:

• Agriculture remains conventional, and the services sector demands high knowledge levels, limiting job options for mainstream graduates.
• Higher education institutions should focus on creating new knowledge, fostering innovation, entrepreneurship, and start-ups.

Gender Disparities in Workforce Participation:

• Reports suggest a higher percentage of employable women graduates than men.
• India’s low female labour force participation relates to limited job opportunities despite improved education for women.

Assessment of National Education Policy (NEP):

• The selective implementation of NEP poses challenges, leading to controversies and confusion.
• NEP’s promise of integrating skills with traditional syllabi faces hurdles, with no substantive change observed on the ground.

Equity and Inclusiveness:

• NEP lacks specific equity actions, especially concerning marginalized communities like Scheduled Castes, Scheduled Tribes, and Muslims.
• The policy should address social growth equity and inclusiveness strategies tailored to different groups.

Role of Industrial Training Institutes (ITI) and Polytechnic Colleges:

• The rapid growth of ITIs and Polytechnic colleges raises concerns about quality.
• Santosh Mehrotra suggests diverting students toward ITIs and vocational training institutions after Class 10 and 12, emphasizing industry engagement for quality improvement.

Conclusion:

• The intricate challenges of graduate employability in India underscore the urgent need for systemic reforms in higher education, targeted equity measures, and a comprehensive evaluation of the National Education Policy’s effectiveness.

PYQ: Skill development programmes have succeeded in increasing human resources supply to various sectors. In the context of the statement analyse the linkages between education, skill and employment. (250 words/15m) (UPSC CSE (M) GS-2 2023)

Practice Question: Discuss the challenges to graduate employability in India, considering the impact of online learning, structural issues in higher education, and the role of the National Education Policy (NEP). (150 words/10 m)

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