The Hindu Newspaper Analysis 6 May 2023

The Hindu Newspaper Analysis for UPSC

The Hindu Newspaper Analysis 5 May 2023

• Recently, unrest in the state of Manipur was triggered by a decision of the High Court to pursue a 10-year-old recommendation to grant Scheduled Tribe (ST) status to the non-tribal Meitei community.
• In view of the prevailing unprecedented burning situation, the Centre has imposed Article 355 in the state, in an effort to control the situation, according to reliable sources.
• Article 355 of the Indian Constitution is a provision that empowers the Union government to protect every state in India against external aggression and internal disturbances.

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• It is a provision under Part XVIII of the Constitution, titled “Emergency Provisions”.
• It is based on the principle of “duty to protect” enshrined in the Constitution, which makes it mandatory for the Union government to protect every state from external and internal threats.
• Article 355 can be invoked by the President of India in certain circumstances, such as:
• When a state fails to comply with or to give effect to any of the directions given by the Union under the Constitution.
• When the security of India is threatened by external aggression or internal disturbance.
• When there is a threat to the unity and integrity of India due to any violent activities by any group or organization.
• When a state requests for assistance from the Union to maintain public order and the Union is satisfied that the situation in the state cannot be controlled by the state’s own forces.
• When a state fails to provide adequate protection to minorities, particularly in cases of communal violence.
• When a state government fails to ensure that the constitutional machinery is maintained in the state.
• Reasonable restrictions
• It is important to note that the use of Article 355 is subject to certain restrictions:
• The President cannot use this article on his/her own initiative; it must be done on the advice of the Union Council of Ministers.
• The use of Article 355 does not authorize the President to intervene directly in the affairs of the state.
• The President can use this article only to give directions to the state government, and not to the state legislature or the judiciary.
• The use of Article 355 should be limited in duration and scope, and should not result in the permanent erosion of the state’s autonomy or the violation of its constitutional rights.

Duration of restriction

• The duration of the assistance provided under Article 355 is not specified in the Constitution.
• The Union government can withdraw its assistance when the situation is normalized or when the state government requests it to do so.
• The duration of the assistance provided under Article 355 is subject to judicial review and can be challenged in court if it violates any fundamental rights or constitutional provisions.

• The National Commission for Scheduled Castes (NCSC) on Friday issued a notice to Punjab government officials, seeking an action taken report on the alleged sexual misconduct by Lal Chand Kataruchak, a Minister in the ruling Aam Aadmi Party (AAP) government.
• The National Commission for Scheduled Caste is constituted under Article 338 of the Indian Constitution.
• In 1978, the 65th amendment constituted the National Commission for Scheduled Caste and replaced the special officer for SC and ST.
• The 89th amendment, passed in 2003, divided this multi-member system into the National Commission for Scheduled Castes and the National Commission for Scheduled Tribes.
• The National Commission for Scheduled Castes was established in 2004.

National Commission for Scheduled Caste – Composition

• The National Commission for Scheduled Caste consists of
• a chairperson,
• a vice-chairperson
• three other members.
• They are appointed by the President by warrant under his hand and seal.
• Their conditions of service and tenure of office are also determined by the President
• Chairman has the status of a cabinet minister and the vice chairman has the rank of a minister of state.
• National Commission for Scheduled Caste -Tenure
• National Commission for Scheduled Caste -Tenure
• The tenure of the Chairman of the National Scheduled Tribes Commission is not fixed; he remains at the post till the pleasure of the president of India.
• But as a convention his tenure is fixed for 3 years.

• Priorities listed by India as signifying its presidency, viz., climate change, clean energy, sustainable developmental programmes and reform of multilateral institutions, are likely to take a back seat, given the deteriorating global situation. Consequently, hopes of reaping a rich dividend from the summitry may be misplaced.
• India also needs to be aware that the importance of the G-20 appears to be declining in today’s world. The SCO seems to have somewhat greater traction. During its presidency of the two institutions, India may well be called upon to chart a course that balances the contradictory demands of the G-20 and the SCO — and even more so that of the Global South. All this leaves little room for grandstanding, and India should proceed with caution.
• China is seeking to widen the arc of conflict with India. Currently China is targeting India for going closer to the U.S. and the western bloc, for its partnership in the Quad (India, Australia, Japan, the U.S.), as well as its participation in maritime surveillance exercises with the U.S., Japan and Australia.
• China is also actively engaged in seeking new friends in India’s extended neighbourhood, in a bid to limit India’s influence in this region.
• India’s relations with Russia also appear to be entering a prolonged phase of uncertainty. Russian ties are not necessarily anchored in defence cooperation, but this has been a key factor in cementing their relations.

• MGNREGS workers protested when the Centre made it mandatory to digitally capture their attendance using a mobile-based application four months ago, complaining that they had no way of confirming whether their attendance had been accurately recorded until their wages landed in their bank accounts.
• In response, the Rural Development Ministry is now considering providing a text confirmation of attendance to workers at the end of each work day or the end of one work schedule.
• The mobile app for attendance replaced physical muster rolls, causing a widespread outcry from many workers enrolled with the Mahatma Gandhi National Rural Employment Guarantee scheme (MGNREGS) , especially women who comprised 57.4% of workers in 2022-23.
• The attendance recorded on National Mobile Monitoring System (NMMS) is uploaded in real time on the central portal for MGNREGS, with the government arguing that this brings in more transparency and aids in controlling corruption.
• Many of the aggrieved workers complaining about patchy internet skewing their attendance records, and the opacity of the new system, have been sitting on protest at Jantar Mantar for nearly 60 days.

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