Headlines

Bulldozer justice - Page No.1 , GS 2

Floods in A.P., Telangana - Page No.1 , GS 3
women don’t come forward to report - Page No.4 , GS 1,2
China-Africa forum - Page No.8 , GS 2
GST Council - Page No.8 , GS 2,3
The Disaster Management (Amendment) Bill - Page No.8 , GS 2
Mental healthcare - Page No.9 , GS 2

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Page No. 1, GS 2
Content.

• The Supreme Court on Monday questioned the bulldozing of homes and private
properties of persons accused of crimes or even of their relatives by States as a possible
act of public retribution, saying the law does not permit the destruction of the family
shelters of even convicts.

• “How can anybody’s home be demolished because he is an accused in a case? The law
does not permit that… Can it happen even if a person is a convict?” Justice B.R. Gavai,
heading a Bench with Justice K.V. Viswanathan, asked.

• Justice Viswanathan said the top court was intending to lay down uniform guidelines on
a pan-India basis to streamline the procedure for identifying unauthorised structures,
issuing notice to persons concerned, and giving them a fair hearing and subsequent
action. “If we lay down guidelines, even digitalise the process, neither authorities nor the
persons concerned can take advantage,” he said.
Fact

• The Right to Shelter in India is recognised as a fundamental right under

the broader ambit of the Right to Life guaranteed by Article 21 of the
Indian Constitution.
• This right ensures that every citizen has access to adequate housing,
which is considered essential for living a life with dignity.
• It implies not just a roof over one's head but also includes adequate
privacy, space, security, lighting, ventilation, basic infrastructure, and
proximity to workplaces and social amenities.

• Chameli Singh v. State of UP (1995): Justice Ramaswamy held that the

right to shelter is a fundamental right under Article 21 and the right to
residence [Article 19(1)(e)].
Page No. 1, GS 3
Content.

• A respite in rain on Monday helped the governments of the two Telugu States — Andhra
Pradesh and Telangana — take up relief operations after incessant rain caused heavy
damage to road and rail infrastructure and left thousands homeless after their houses
were inundated.

• Heavy Rainfall: The primary cause of floods in India is heavy rainfall, especially during
the monsoon season from June to September.
• Melting of Glaciers: Melting snow and glaciers in mountainous regions due to rising
temperatures can increase river and stream water levels, resulting in downstream
flooding.
• Cyclones and Storms: Cyclones and storms can generate strong winds and heavy
rainfall, particularly affecting coastal regions.
• River Overflow: Flooding can occur when a river's water level exceeds its capacity due to
excessive inflow from upstream or diminished outflow downstream.
Fact

Man Made Causes:

• Unplanned & Rapid Urbanisation: Unplanned urbanisation and shooting up of slums on
the outskirt of urban centres add to flood havoc in case of heavy rainfall.

• Concretisation: The rapid concretisation due to use of asphalt and concrete has
increased impervious surfaces that do not absorb rainwater, leading to increased
surface runoff.

• Encroachment of Water Resources: Construction and development activities in

riverbeds and floodplains can severely disrupt the natural flow of rivers and
encroachment of lakes and ponds.

• Deforestation:Forests play a crucial role in absorbing rainfall and facilitating ground

water recharge.
Page No. 4, GS 2
Content.

• Before she decided to walk away from her PhD programme at one of the most reputed
public-funded universities in Delhi, a 29-year-old research scholar wrote a note to her
professors narrating for one last time the harrowing time she had under her
supervisor and how her complaint of sexual harassment against him to the institute
went unheard for weeks.

• She signed off the letter with the line: “Ironically, I was pursuing my PhD on women’s
access to higher education in India.”

• As the publication of the Justice K. Hema Committee report on harassment and abuse
in the Malayalam film industry reignited discussions about sexual harassment in
films, the template and impact of such acts appear to bear similarities across
professions ranging from media to academia to the corporate world.
Content.

• Under the Prevention of Sexual Harassment (PoSH) Act, 2013, it is mandatory for
every organisation to constitute an internal complaints committee (ICC) when there
are 10 or more women employees working there.

• The PoSH Act, 2013 and the University Grants Commission (Prevention, Prohibition
and Redressal of sexual harassment of women employees and Students in Higher
Educational Institutions) Regulations, 2015, mandate the formation of an ICC or
internal committee (IC) by an order in writing in every college.

• The Supreme Court in the landmark judgment in the Vishakha and others v State of
Rajasthan 1997 case gave the ‘Vishakha guidelines’ for prevention of sexual
harassment at workplace.

• India has also signed the CEDAW (Convention on the Elimination of all Forms of
Discrimination against Women) 1980. India has also ratified the convention later.
Page No. 8, GS 2
Content.

• The ninth edition of the Forum on China-Africa Cooperation (FOCAC) is to take place
from September 4-6, 2024, in Beijing. The event comes at a time when African nations are
facing multiple issues such as high inflation, currency depreciation, a heavy debt burden,
unconstitutional military takeovers and geopolitical challenges such as the Israel-Hamas
and Russia-Ukraine wars, and attacks by Houthi rebels on commercial shipping in the
Mediterranean Sea.

• The utility of the FOCAC process for Africa is increasingly contingent upon Africa’s
ability to set the agenda and take greater ownership of its strategic thinking. There has
been no dearth of statements and papers on Chinese strategies in Africa.

• On the economic front, progress on Beijing’s ambitious goal to import $300 billion worth
of goods from African countries between 2022-24 has been modest.

• Developing a sustainable and robust agricultural industry is an imperative.

Content.

• China’s role in African debt sustainability is highly complex. According to data from the
Boston University Global Development Policy Center, Chinese loans to African
governments and regional institutions amounted to around $170 billion between 2000-
22.

• India is not influenced by the actions of any third country. The Indian model and way of
doing business has its own comparative advantages in sectors such as ICT, human
resource development, agriculture and pharmaceuticals.

• India must emphasise continuity in its engagement with Africa. The last India–Africa
Forum Summit (IAFS) was in 2015.

• But if India wants to capitalise on the momentum following the inclusion of the African
Union (AU) in the G-20 under the Indian presidency, it must hold the IAFS-IV at the
earliest.
Fact

• India could play a central role in strengthening the integration of African economies into
global value chains and supporting Africa’s industrialisation.

• Indian private sector participation and finding innovative financing solutions. While
India’s lines of credit remain a popular instrument for financing projects, African
countries are apprehensive about taking newer loans after the COVID-19 pandemic.

• India’s own digital stack, which includes biometrics, mobile connectivity and Jan Dhan
technology, could help establish digital and physical connectivity with Africa.

• The Unified Payment Interface (UPI) and RuPay services are already established in
Mauritius. Kenya, Namibia, Ghana and Mozambique have shown interest in utilising the
UPI platform.
Fact

• The India–Africa Forum Summit (IAFS) is the official platform for

the African-Indian relations.

• It is held once in every three years beginning from 2008.

• India by consistently holding India- Africa Forum Summit (IAFS) in

places like New Delhi (2008), Addis Ababa (2011) and New Delhi
(2015) has already forged ties with the 54 African states through the
African Union (AU).
Page No. 8, GS 2
Content.

• The Goods and Services Tax (GST) Council, entrusted with overseeing the seven-year-
old indirect tax regime, is slated to meet on September 9. This would be its second
sitting in under three months, after a nine-month pause.

• The Council, whose parleys steered by the Union Finance Minister with States’
representatives are critical for resolving taxpayer challenges and setting broader policy
direction, ought to meet regularly at such frequency.

• A key expectation from the upcoming meet revolves around the much-awaited review of
GST’s complex, multiple-rate structure.

• The inclusion of items such as electricity, petroleum and alcohol into the GST net,
something that industry and economists have been advocating for years, may be even
more tricky.
Fact

• The GST Council is a constitutional body responsible for making recommendations on

issues related to the implementation of the Goods and Services Tax (GST) in India.
• It was set up to simplify the existing tax structure in India, where both the Centre and
states levied multiple taxes making it more uniform across the country.

• Constitutional Provisions:
• The 101st Amendment Act, of 2016 paved the way for the introduction of GST.
• The Amendment Act inserted a new Article 279-A in the Constitution, which empowers
the President to constitute a GST Council or by an order.
• Accordingly, the President issued the order in 2016 and constituted the Goods and
Services Tax Council.

• Members:
• The members of the Council include the Union Finance Minister (Chairperson), the
Union Minister of State (Finance) from the Centre.
Page No. 8, GS 2
Content.

• On August 1, 2024, the central government introduced the Disaster Management

(Amendment) Bill in the Lok Sabha. Brought in in the wake of climate-induced
disasters, the Bill shows much evidence of a further centralisation of an already
heavily-centralised Disaster Management Act, 2005.

• This Act, in its current form, already mandates the creation of many authorities and
committees at the national, State and district levels.

• The proposed Bill further provides statutory status to pre-act organisations such as
the National Crisis Management Committee and a High Level Committee,
complicating the chain of action to be followed in case of disasters.

• A repercussion of this top-down approach is seen when there is a delayed response

to disasters, antithetical to the intent and purpose of the Act.
Fact

• The Bill claims to strengthen the working of the National Disaster

Management Authority and the State Disaster Management Authorities to
prepare State and national level plans.

• It also establishes an ‘Urban Disaster Management Authority’ for State

capitals and cities with municipal corporations. However, this intended
decentralisation of functions without the necessary financial devolution
creates more problems than it solves.

• One of the major concerns of the Disaster Management Act has been the
excess centralisation of decision making on funds, especially in situations
where the disaster is severe. The severity of the disaster must necessitate a
prompt response by the central government, currently absent in the Act.
Fact

• On July 25, 2024, the Minister of State of Science, Technology and Earth
Sciences, in response to questions posed in the Lok Sabha, said that the
government is currently not planning to classify heatwaves as a notified
disaster under the Disaster Management Act, 2005.

• This statement concurs with the observations of the 15th Finance

Commission which did not find merit in expanding the scope of notified
disasters.

• The notified list of disasters eligible for assistance under the National
Disaster Response Fund/State Disaster Response Fund are cyclone,
drought, earthquake, fire, flood, tsunami, hailstorm, landslide, avalanche,
cloud burst, pest attack, frost and cold wave.
Page No. 9, GS 2
Content.

• The demand for mental healthcare is increasing in India thanks to shifts in

attitudes over the years. However, data show that there is no commensurate
rise in the number of mental health professionals.

• The World Health Organization’s guidelines state that there should be at

least three practising psychiatrists per one lakh population. As per the latest
National Mental Health Survey (NMHS), which was conducted between 2015
and 2016, India has only 0.75 psychiatrists per 1 lakh population.

• In its 2023 report, ‘Mental Healthcare and Its Management in Contemporary

Times,’ the Parliamentary Standing Committee on Health and Family Welfare
stated that there were 9,000 working psychiatrists in India at the time. If the
goal is to have three psychiatrists per one lakh population, India would
require 36,000, the report said.
Fact

• The report also pointed out that about 1,000 psychiatrists enter the workforce every year.
Keeping aside factors such as attrition and unemployment, it would take India about 27
years to meet the WHO-recommended goal

• India’s rate of 0.75 is poor compared to other countries. Among the BRICS nations (updated
list), India is one of the two countries with the lowest number of psychiatrists per capita; the
other is Ethiopia, which employs 0.1 psychiatrists per 1 lakh population. However, India
fares better in South Asia

• There was a significant increase (from 32% in 2018 to 65% in 2021) in the share of
respondents who said that individuals with mental illnesses can be given responsibilities.
More than 90% of the respondents in 2021 said that they would be willing to seek treatment
for themselves, or would be supportive of an individual accessing mental healthcare,
compared to 54% in 2018. The share of respondents who were aware of mental health
increased from 87% to 96%.
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