In the gig economy, receiving lower pay is preferable to receiving no pay. (Case Study for mains answer.)

Topic: GS3 – The gig economy.

Issue:

• Workers in the gig economy often face a dilemma where they have to accept lower pay instead of no pay at all due to the lack of alternative options.
• This was exemplified in the case of Blinkit delivery workers in Delhi who went on strike after a new earnings system was rolled out but had to resume work after a week as they had little savings and no alternative options to fall back on.
• Similarly, workers across various gig economy platforms are being forced to return to work despite pay cuts due to the lack of alternatives and political and legal support.
• This has resulted in diminishing returns on effort, with workers experiencing demotions instead of promotions.
  

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E.C. asks parties to exercise restraint

Topic: GS2 – Indian polity and governance.

Issue:

• The Election Commission of India (E.C.) has expressed concern over the declining level of campaign discourse for the Karnataka Assembly poll.
• The E.C. has advised all national and state parties and candidates to exercise restraint and focus on issue-based debates during campaigning.
• National parties and star campaigners have extra enablements within the Representation of the People Act (RPA), 1951.
• The use of provocative and inflammatory statements, abusive language, attacks on personal character, and conduct of rivals violates the Model Code of Conduct (MCC) and vitiates the level playing field.

Extra Info: What is a Star Campaigner?

• The Section 77 of the RPA-1951 allows all Political parties to appoint star campaigners.
• Advantage of having a star campaigner: The expenditure incurred on the campaign done by them is not included in the expenditure of the candidate concerned.
• How many star campaigners can a political party have? A recognised political party can have a maximum number of 40-star campaigners, while an unrecognised political party can have only up to 20 campaigners.
• Who can be a star campaigner? The Section 77 of RPA leaves it to the political party itself to decide who its “leaders” are and allows every party to submit a list of such ‘star campaigners’ to the election authorities.

The effects of a declining level of campaigns in elections can be significant and may include the following:

• Decrease in voter turnout: When campaigns are negative and focused on personal attacks instead of issues, voters may become disillusioned and disinterested in the election, decreasing voter turnout.
• Erosion of public trust: Negative campaigning can decrease public confidence in the political process and elected officials.
• Polarization of society: Negative campaigns can divide people along ideological and party lines, leading to a polarized and fractured society.
• Lack of focus on issues: If the campaign discourse is not focused on issues, it can be difficult for voters to make informed decisions and for elected officials to address important problems.
• Undermining democracy: When campaigns become excessively negative and personal, they can undermine the basic principles of democracy, including the free exchange of ideas and the ability of citizens to participate in the political process.

Way forward:

• Promote issue-based debates: Election campaigns should discuss important issues, such as the economy, education, health, and security. Political parties and candidates should avoid personal attacks and instead focus on presenting their plans and proposals to address these issues.
• Enforce codes of conduct: Election Commission should enforce regulations of conduct that prohibit negative campaigning and penalise candidates or parties that engage in such practices.
• Educate voters: Voter education campaigns can be organized to promote positive messages and encourage voters to evaluate candidates based on their policies and records.
• Use social media responsibly: Social media has become an important tool for political campaigns, but it can also be used to spread misinformation and negative messages. Political parties and candidates should use social media responsibly and avoid spreading false information or engaging in personal attacks.
• Encourage media responsibility: The media is crucial in shaping public opinion during elections. Media outlets should avoid sensationalising news and focus on presenting accurate and balanced coverage of political campaigns.

Kerala’s Wayanad has become the first district in the country to be declared ODF (open defecation-free) Plus.

What is ODF and ODF Plus:

• ODF stands for Open Defecation Free, which is a certification given to a village, town, or city in India when all households in the area have access to a toilet and no human waste is openly defecated. The ODF certification is given by the Indian government’s Swachh Bharat Mission (Clean India Mission), which aims to make India free of open defecation by building toilets and promoting behaviour change.
• ODF Plus is a certification that builds on the ODF status by ensuring that wastewater and solid waste management systems are in place and functioning effectively. ODF Plus also includes measures for maintaining cleanliness and hygiene in public and community spaces. It is a higher level of certification that promotes sustainable sanitation and hygiene practices in addition to open defecation-free status.
  

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De-dollarisation: the race to attain the status of global reserve currency

Topic: GS3 – Indian – global economic trends.

Context:

• In recent times, efforts to overthrow the U.S. dollar as the dominant global reserve currency have gained momentum, as countries have been attempting to achieve this objective for several decades due to various reasons.
• However, the pace of such attempts has accelerated after the invasion of Ukraine by Russia last year.

Issue: The pursuit for the status of global reserve currency:

• The currencies of economic superpowers usually end up being used as global reserve currencies
• The British pound lost its reserve currency status as Britain lost its status as a global economic superpower
• Critics argue that the global reserve currency status gives the U.S. dollar unfair privileges over other countries
• A country with reserve currency status can purchase goods and other assets from the rest of the world by simply creating fresh currency, but this can cause debasement of the currency and threaten its status as a reserve currency
• The expansionary monetary policy adopted by the U.S. Federal Reserve over the decades could threaten the U.S. dollar’s status as a global reserve currency
• Other countries have also been expanding their money supplies to address their domestic economic problems
• As long as the U.S. does not debase its currency at a faster pace than other countries, the dollar may manage to hold its value against other currencies, and hence its reserve currency status may not come under serious threat.

Advantages of a currency being a reserve currency:

• Ability to purchase goods and assets from other countries by simply creating fresh currency out of thin air
• Increased demand for the currency in global markets, leading to a stable exchange rate
• Access to cheaper credit from other countries
• Reduced transaction costs for international trade and investments
• Ability to borrow from other countries in the currency of their choice, which may be more stable than their own currency
• Higher international prestige and influence for the country whose currency holds the reserve currency status.
  

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Defence Minister hands over two naval vessels to the Maldivian defence forces. 

Topic: GS2 – International relations – India and neighbourhood.

Previous year Question on Maldives

1. Discuss the political developments in Maldives in the last two years. Should they be of any cause of concern to India? (10 marks) (150 words) (UPSC CSE (M) 2013)

Context:

• On May 2, 2022, Indian Defence Minister Rajnath Singh handed over two naval vessels to the Maldivian defence forces during his visit to the Maldives.
• The two vessels, a fast interceptor boat and a diving support vessel were gifted to the Maldives as part of India’s defence cooperation and assistance program.

Issue:

• The fast interceptor boat is intended for maritime surveillance, interdiction, and search-and-rescue operations. The diving support vessel is equipped with modern diving equipment and is intended for search-and-rescue missions and underwater maintenance.
• India has been actively engaging with the Maldives in the field of defence and security cooperation in recent years, and the two countries have signed several agreements in this regard.
• The two countries have also conducted joint military exercises and training programs.
• The handover of the two naval vessels is seen as a significant step in further strengthening the defence and security cooperation between India and the Maldives.
  

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Centre plans panel to find an alternative to death by hanging

Topic: GS2 – legal developments.

Context:

• The Indian government is considering the formation of a committee to examine alternatives to death by hanging.
• In March, the court had asked the government to provide data on alternative methods of executing prisoners.

Issue:

• The Indian government is considering the formation of a committee to examine alternative methods of death by hanging.
• The Supreme Court had requested the government to provide data on a more acceptable method of executing prisoners.
• The Chief Justice suggested the committee include experts from national law universities, professors of law, doctors, and scientific persons.
• The court may direct an alternative method of execution if it is proved that death by hanging is unconstitutional.
• The petition challenging the constitutionality of death by hanging was filed by advocate Rishi Malhotra.
• Section 354 (5) of the Code of Criminal Procedure mandates that a person sentenced to death shall “be hanged by the neck till he is dead”.
• As of 2021, more than 100 countries have abolished the death penalty for all crimes. These include countries such as Canada, Australia, New Zealand, almost all countries in Europe and Latin America, and some African and Asian countries.
  

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China, Russia, Pak. Ministers to attend SCO meet in Goa.

Topic: GS2 – International relations.

Context:

• China and Russia’s Foreign Ministers are scheduled to attend the upcoming Shanghai Cooperation Organisation (SCO) Foreign Ministers’ meeting in Goa from Thursday to Friday.

More about SCO:

• The Shanghai Cooperation Organisation (SCO) is a Eurasian political, economic, and security alliance that was founded in 2001 in Shanghai, China by six-member countries: China, Russia, Kazakhstan, Kyrgyzstan, Tajikistan, and Uzbekistan.
• In 2017, India and Pakistan became full members of the organisation.
• In addition to the member states, the SCO has observer states and dialogue partners. The current observer states are Afghanistan, Belarus, Iran, and Mongolia. The dialogue partners include Azerbaijan, Armenia, Cambodia, Nepal, Turkey, and Sri Lanka.
• The SCO’s main objectives include promoting regional cooperation in the areas of security, economy, and culture among its member states.
• It aims to strengthen mutual trust and good relations among its members, promote regional peace, security and stability, and facilitate economic cooperation, trade, and investment among member countries.