12 March 2024 : Indian Express Editorial Analysis

Indian Express Editorial Analysis

12-March-2024

1. EC’s hour of reckoning

Topic: GS2 – Polity – Constitutional Bodies This topic is relevant for both Prelims and Mains as this analysis delves into the role and importance of various constitutional bodies, providing insights into the functioning of democratic institutions in India.

Context:

In March 2023, the Supreme Court mandated the formation of a selection committee for the Election Commission of India (ECI), with the Chief Justice of India (CJI) as a member. A little over a year later, and following a law passed by Parliament excluding the CJI from the committee, two vacancies emerged in the ECI, prompting scrutiny of the law’s implications and intentions.

The Context of Constitutional Institutions:

• The Indian Constitution establishes various institutions crucial for democracy.
• These institutions serve different functions and maintain relationships with the government, either supportive, regulatory, or as a counterweight.
• Parliament oversees the government, while courts scrutinize laws and government decisions.
• Other bodies like the Attorney General, Comptroller and Auditor General, and Public Service Commission play specific roles in advising, auditing, and recruiting for the government.

The Unique Role of the Election Commission:

• Unlike other bodies, the Election Commission’s responsibility isn’t contingent on government actions.
• Its primary duty is ensuring free and fair elections, making it directly accountable to voters rather than the government.
• This unique role underscores the importance of examining the government’s intentions behind introducing and amending provisions in the CEC Bill.

Analysis of Key Provisions:
Composition of the Selection Committee

• Initially constituted ad hoc by a Supreme Court order, the Selection Committee underwent changes with the exclusion of the CJI.
• This alteration raises questions about potential bias in the committee’s majority view, seemingly aimed at ensuring a predetermined outcome rather than consensus building.

Equivalence Issue:

• The status of the Chief Election Commissioner (CEC) was previously safeguarded akin to a Supreme Court judge.
• However, amendments in the CEC Bill proposed equating the CEC and Election Commissioners (ECs) with the Cabinet Secretary, sparking criticism.
• This move contradicted the existing provisions granting CEC and ECs status and salaries akin to Supreme Court judges.

Removal Process:

• The removal process of CEC and ECs was initially aligned with that of Supreme Court judges, promoting parity.
• However, final amendments led to a disparity in the removal process, maintaining impeachment for the CEC while allowing the President to remove ECs on the CEC’s recommendation.

Search Committee Composition:

• Replacing the Cabinet Secretary with the Law Minister as the Search Committee chair and omitting members with expertise in election matters from the original provision raises questions about the rationale behind these changes, especially given their significance to the electoral process.

Conclusion:

• The amendments in the final version of the CEC Bill reflect a lack of clarity and coherence in the government’s approach.
• While restoring the equivalence of CEC/ECs with Supreme Court judges, discrepancies in the removal process and changes in the Search Committee composition suggest a muddled thought process.
• These inconsistencies warrant further examination to understand the government’s true intentions behind these amendments.

What are the Concerns Regarding the Bill?

Transparency and Independence: Allowing the Selection Committee’s recommendations to be valid even with a vacancy could result in a monopoly of ruling party members during certain circumstances, undermining the diversity and independence of the committee. Shift from Judicial Benchmark to Executive Control: Equating the salary of the CEC and ECs with that of the Cabinet Secretary, whose salary is determined by the executive, raises concerns about potential government influence. Unlike the salary of a Supreme Court Judge, which is fixed by an Act of Parliament, this shift may compromise the financial independence of the EC. Limiting Eligibility to Civil Servants: Restricting eligibility to individuals who have held a position equivalent to the Secretary to the government may exclude potentially qualified candidates, limiting the diversity of backgrounds and expertise in the ECI. Concerns About Lack of Parity: The Bill retains the constitutional provision that allows the CEC to be removed like a Supreme Court Judge, while ECs can only be removed on the recommendation of the CEC. This lack of parity in removal processes may raise questions about fairness.

PYQ: Consider the following statements: (2017) 1) The Election Commission of India is a five-member body. 2) Union Ministry of Home Affairs decides the election schedule for the conduct of both general elections and bye-elections. 3) Election Commission resolves the disputes relating to splits/mergers of recognised political parties. Which of the statements given above is/are correct? (a) 1 and 2 only (b) 2 only (c) 2 and 3 only (d) 3 only Ans: (d)

Practice Question:  Discuss the significance of recent legislative amendments pertaining to the Election Commission of India (ECI) and their implications on democratic governance in India. Evaluate the potential challenges and opportunities arising from these amendments in ensuring the autonomy and effectiveness of the ECI in upholding free and fair elections in the country. (250 words/15 m)

2. Moving to a better count

Topic: GS3 – Indian Economy – Issues relating to growth This topic is relevant for both Prelims and Mains in the context of understanding poverty trends, consumption patterns, and their implications for inflation and monetary policy.

Context:

The release of summary results from the Household Consumption Expenditure Survey (HCES), 2022-23, conducted by the National Sample Survey Office (NSSO), prompts discussion on three key issues: trends in poverty, disparities between private consumption expenditure of NSSO and figures provided by the National Accounts Statistics (NAS), and changes in consumption patterns with implications for the Consumer Price Index (CPI) and monetary policy.

Trends in Poverty:

• The HCES 2022-23 introduces changes in consumption expenditure methodology, including item coverage, questionnaire alterations, and multiple data collection visits.
• Analysis of poverty trends reveals divergent estimates based on different methodologies, such as those proposed by the Expert Groups (Tendulkar and Rangarajan).
• While poverty ratios exhibit declines, disparities between methodologies underscore the need for cautious interpretation pending further detailed data analysis.

Discrepancy in Consumption Expenditure:

• An alarming disparity between private consumption expenditure estimates provided by NSSO and NAS raises concerns.
• Despite methodological improvements, the NSS share marginally increased in 2022-23, exacerbating the widening gap between NSS and NAS figures over time.
• Such discrepancies, exceeding 50%, necessitate thorough examination by the NSSO Advisory Group to improve data collection methods and ensure the accuracy of poverty ratio computations.

Changes in Consumption Patterns and CPI Implications:

• Analysis of consumption patterns between 2011-12 and 2022-23 reveals shifts, notably declines in the shares of food expenditure both in rural and urban areas.
• This decline, coupled with increases in shares of non-food items, prompts consideration for CPI adjustments.
• While a reduction in food shares suggests potential impacts on inflation levels, the extent of this impact remains uncertain given the persistent dominance of food expenditure in household budgets.

Conclusion:

• The summary results of the HCES 2022-23 illuminate critical issues ranging from poverty trends and consumption expenditure disparities to shifts in consumption patterns with implications for CPI and monetary policy.
• Addressing these issues requires careful analysis, methodological refinement, and policy adjustments to ensure accurate poverty estimations and informed economic policymaking in India.

What is the National Statistical Office?

About: Formed in 2019 by merging the Central Statistical Office (CSO) and the National Sample Survey Office (NSSO). C. Rangarajan Committee first suggested the establishment of NSO as the nodal body for all core statistical activities. It currently works under the Ministry of Statistics and Programme Implementation (MoSPI). Function: Collects, compiles, and disseminates reliable, objective, and relevant statistical data.

PYQ: In a given year in India, official poverty lines are higher in some States than in others because (2019) (a) poverty rates vary from State to State (b) price levels vary from State to State (c) Gross State Product varies from State to State (d) quality of public distribution varies from State to State Ans: (b)

Practice Question:  Discuss the implications of the Household Consumption Expenditure Survey (HCES), 2022-23, on poverty estimation, consumption patterns, and inflation dynamics in India. Analyze the methodological changes introduced in the survey and their impact on poverty trends, particularly in rural and urban areas. (250 words/15 m)

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