25 SEPTEMBER 2023

Topic 1: Rise in global debt

Why in news: Global debt rose to an all-time high of $307 trillion in the second quarter, as per a recent report.

Key details:

• Global debt has risen by about $100 trillion over the last decade.
• Global debt as a share of gross domestic product (GDP) has started to increase once again to hit 336% after dropping quite steeply for seven consecutive quarters.

What is global debt?

• Global debt refers to the borrowings of governments as well as private businesses and individuals.
• Why government borrows:
  • Governments borrow to meet various expenditures that they are unable to meet through tax and other revenues.
  • Governments may also borrow to pay interest on the money that they have already borrowed to fund past expenditures.
• Why private sector borrows:
  • The private sector borrows predominantly to make investments.

Why is it rising?

• Most (over 80%) of the rise in global debt in the first half of the year has come from advanced economies such as the U.S., the U.K., Japan, and France.
• Among emerging market economies, China, India and Brazil have seen the most growth in debt.
• This has happened amid rising interest rates, which was expected to adversely affect demand for loans.
• But a rise in debt levels over time is to be expected since the total money supply usually steadily rises each year in countries across the globe.
• Even a simple rise in the total amount of savings in an economy can cause a rise in debt levels as these increased savings are channelled into investments.

Declining global debt as a share of GDP:

• There is a drop in global debt as a share of GDP over seven consecutive quarters prior to 2023.
• The decline in global debt as a share of GDP has been attributed to the rise in price inflation, which it claims has helped governments to inflate away the debts denominated in their local currencies.
  • Inflating away of debt refers to the phenomenon wherein the central bank of a country either directly or indirectly uses freshly created currency to effectively pay off outstanding government debt by, for example, purchasing government bonds in the market.
  • But the creation of fresh money causes prices to rise, thus imposing an indirect tax on the wider economy to pay the government’s debt.

Concerns:

• Reckless borrowings and  high interest rates:
  • Rising global debt levels usually leads to concerns about the sustainability of such debt.
  • This is particularly so in the case of government debt which is prone to rise rapidly due to reckless borrowing by politicians to fund populist programmes.
  • And when central banks raise interest rates, servicing outstanding debt becomes a challenge for governments with a heavy debt burden.
• Defaults and inflating away debts:
  • Rising interest rates can increase pressure on governments and force them to either default outright or inflate away their debt.
  • Several governments will never be able to pay their debt in full and that inflating away debt is the only way for such governments to avoid an outright default on their debt.
• Inadequate infrastructure:
  • The report has also warned that the international financial infrastructure is not equipped to handle unsustainable domestic debt levels.
• Rising private debt:
  • Generally, rapidly rising private debt levels also lead to worries about their sustainability.
  • This is because such a rise is linked to unsustainable booms that end in economic crises when such lending is not backed by genuine savings.
    • The most recent example of the same was the 2008 global financial crisis.
    • The crisis was immediately preceded by an economic boom fuelled by the U.S. Federal Reserve’s easy credit policy.

---

Topic 2: Pacific lamprey

Why in news: The jawless fish have survived 4 mass extinctions

Key details:

• Name:
  • Pacific lamprey (Entosphenus tridentatus)
• Where it lives:
  • Freshwater and marine ecosystems in the North Pacific.
• Lampreys belong to a group of ancient, jawless fish that evolved over 450 million years ago during the Ordovician period (485 million to 444 million years ago).
• There are roughly 40 living species of lampreys dotted across the world.
• Pacific lampreys are boneless fish, and their skeletons are made entirely of cartilage.

---

Topic 3: Plants are flowering in Antarctica

Why in news: Climate change is causing two flowering plants in Antarctica to grow faster than ever before.

Key details:

• Scientists have observed a tenfold increase in growth for one plant species and a fivefold increase for another between 2009 and 2019.
• This growth is likely due to the warming climate, which is allowing the plants to take advantage of the milder conditions
• Normally, Antarctica remains extremely cold throughout the year.
• Scientists have been studying these plants on an island called Signy Island, which is part of the cold continent.
• Factors influencing their growth:
  • Warm climate
  • fur seals stepping on them,
• Concerns:
  • This is somewhat concerning because these fast-growing plants might eventually outcompete the mosses and lichens that are the main types of vegetation in Antarctica.
  • The warmer conditions might also open the door for non-native plants to start growing there, which could become a problem for the delicate Antarctic ecosystem.

---

Topic 4 : Sikh migration to Canada

Why in news: The fallout between India and Canada once again brought the Sikh diaspora in Canada under the spotlight.
 

Key details:

• According to the 2021 Canadian census, Sikhs account for 2.1% of the country’s population.
• Canada is home to the largest Sikh population outside India.
• For over a century, Sikhs have been migrating to Canada.
   

When Sikhs began to migrate:

• Sikhs began to migrate overseas in the late 19th century as they were involved in the armed services for the British Empire.
• Wherever the Empire expanded, especially in the Far East—China, Singapore, Fiji, and Malaysia—and East Africa, that’s where the Sikhs went.
• Sikhs’ arrival in Canada began with Queen Victoria’s Diamond Jubilee in 1897.
  • Kesur Singh, a Risaldar Major in the British India Army (25th Cavalry, Frontier Force), is considered the first Sikh settler to come to the country that year.
  • He was amongst the first group of Sikh soldiers who arrived in Vancouver as part of the Hong Kong Regiment, which included Chinese and Japanese soldiers en route to celebrate the jubilee.
• The first wave of Sikh migration to Canada, however, was triggered in the initial years of the 1900s.
  • Most of the migrant Sikhs moved to the country as labourers — logging in British Columbia and manufacturing in Ontario.

An end to the migration:

• Although the migrants easily found work, they encountered hostility based on the perception that they were taking away jobs from localities.
• The Sikhs also faced racial and cultural prejudices.
• With the mounting public pressure, the Canadian government finally put an end to the migration by introducing stringent regulations.
  • It made it mandatory for Asian immigrants to possess a sum of $200, considered high enough to serve as a distinctive, and to arrive in Canada only by means of a continuous journey from their country of origin.
• As a result, immigration from India into Canada declined drastically after 1908, from 2,500 during 1907-08, to only a few dozen per year.

The Komagata Maru incident:

• It was during this time the Komagata Maru incident took place.
• In 1914, a Japanese steamship, known as Komagata Maru, reached the shores of Vancouver.
• It was carrying 376 South Asian passengers, most of whom were Sikhs.
• The immigrants were detained onboard the ship for about two months, and then escorted out of Canadian waters, sending it back to Asia.

Relaxation of Canadian policy:

• The Canadian immigration policy relaxed after the end of World War II.
• It happened for three main reasons.
  • First, it became difficult for Canada to maintain an immigration policy and practice based on racial preferences after it joined the United Nations and its declaration against racial discrimination, and membership in a multi-racial Commonwealth of equal partners.
  • Second, post WWII, Canada started to expand its economy for which it required labourers.
  • Third, there was a decline in the immigration of people from Europe and the Canadian government turned to the third world countries for the import of human capital.
• The factors ultimately led to the introduction of the ‘points system’ in 1967 by the Canadian government that made skill alone as criteria for admission of non-dependent relatives into the country and eliminated any preferences given to one particular race.Topic 5 : Quote: ‘The opposite of poverty is not wealth, but justice’

Why in news: In recent discussions about the Women’s Reservation Bill for setting a quota of seats aside for women in India’s legislative bodies, the concepts of justice and equality have been invoked frequently.
 

Meaning of the quote:

• “The opposite of poverty is not wealth, but justice” is taken from a speech from American human rights lawyer and activist Bryan Stevenson.
• It basically talks about America’s justice system and highlighted massive imbalance along racial lines.
• A third of the country’s black male population has been incarcerated at some point in their lives.
• Sometimes, the system is designed to be more unforgiving towards a group of people for their race, for instance.
• Therefore, societal grievances such as poverty are not always a result of individual failures, but the failure of systems like educational institutions, the medical sector, jails, etc. to not let people fall into a state of poverty.

What does this argument say about achieving justice?

• What this quote essentially puts forward is that too often, poverty and marginalisation are seen narrowly.
• It might be true, in a literal sense, that poverty is the opposite of wealth, but the real-world consequences and factors affecting it are not as simple.
• Poverty can be something people are born into with no role of their own to play in their circumstances.
• It can also be more likely for people belonging to certain castes, genders, ethnic groups and so on.

How can it be addressed?

• One way is to focus on groups that data proves are more vulnerable to getting trapped in a cycle of poverty, due to a historical and continued lack of opportunities, knowledge and resources.
• This is also called intersectionality – the different roles that different aspects of our identities play in shaping our lives.
• The experience of a man with the criminal justice system will be different to that of a woman.
  • This would further vary based on other factors such as the caste they belong to, their religious identities, whether they are educated, etc.
• In that way, the opposite of poverty or systemic neglect of vulnerable groups would not be as simple as enriching them in a monetary sense.
• That would actually not solve the inherent problem, which is one of injustice towards them.
• Only once they are treated equally and justly, given the resources and platforms they have so far been denied access to, can they truly become free from poverty.

Example:

• For example, despite the delay in its release, the Socioeconomic and Caste Census (SECC) and its 2011 data helped identify relevant beneficiaries of government welfare schemes.
• Since deprivation was the key criterion in identifying beneficiaries.
  • Scheduled Caste and Scheduled Tribe communities got higher coverage.
  • The erstwhile backward regions in Bihar, Madhya Pradesh, Rajasthan, Uttar Pradesh, Jharkhand, Odisha, Chhattisgarh, Assam, Rajasthan and rural Maharashtra got a larger share of the benefits.
  • This was a game-changer in the efforts to ensure balanced development, socially as well as across regions.
  • In this way, through a specialised focus on these groups, they were empowered.
     

Conclusion:

• On an individual level, what might be needed is simple empathy towards understanding why someone committed certain actions and whether the price they pay for them can be considered fair.
• Only in doing so will we challenge the existing norms that too often dehumanise other people, and be able to get a new outlook on possible solutions to age-old issues in society.Topic 6 : Goa’s new beach shack policy

Why in news: The Goa government recently approved the ‘Goa State Shack Policy 2023-2026’, for the erection of temporary seasonal structures, beach shacks, deck beds and umbrellas along beach stretches for the next three tourist seasons.
 

What are beach shacks:

• Beach shacks are typically built from eco-friendly materials such as bamboo, wooden poles and thatched palm leaves.
• These have become a popular attraction for domestic and international tourists visiting Goa.
• Beach shacks are temporary structures that are restaurant/bars with sunbeds on the sand and staff to serve you on the sunbeds.

The new shack policy:

• The shack policy allows unemployed persons of Goan domicile to operate ‘temporary’ shacks on the beachfront during the peak tourist season.
• By the end of tourist season, shacks have to be mandatorily dismantled.
• A “Digital Coast” has been proposed at the beaches, where shack allottees will be provided POS (point of sale) machines to facilitate digital transactions for customers.Topic 7 : Women’s reservation Bill

Why in news: In a historic move, Parliament passed the Constitution (One Hundred and Twenty Eighth Amendment) Bill, commonly referred to as the women’s reservation Bill, which provides 33% reservation for women in the Lok Sabha and State Legislative Assemblies.
 

About the Bill:

• The Nari Shakti Vandan Adhiniyam, as the Bill is called, seeks to reserve one-third of all seats for women in the Lok Sabha, the State Legislative Assemblies, and the National Capital Territory of Delhi.
• This will also apply to seats reserved for Scheduled Castes (SCs) and Scheduled Tribes (STs) in the Lok Sabha and the State Legislative Assemblies.
• The seats reserved for women will be rotated after each delimitation exercise.

Evolution:

• National Perspective Plan of 1988
  • The National Perspective Plan for Women recommended reservations for women at all levels of governance, from Panchayat to Parliament.
  • Consequently, the 73rd and 74th amendments to the Constitution were enacted, mandating one-third of seats for women in Panchayati Raj institutions and one-third of chairperson offices at various levels, with additional reservation for Scheduled Caste (SC) and Scheduled Tribe (ST) women in these seats.
• Introduction in Parliament – 1996
  • The Women’s Reservation Bill was first introduced in Parliament in 1996 by the H D Deve Gowda-led government.
  • The Constitution (Eighty-first Amendment) Bill, 1996 (insertion of new Articles 330A and 332A) was introduced to the Lok Sabha.
  • However, several leaders in the United Front government, a coalition of 13 parties, were not in favour of the Bill.
  • It was then referred to a Joint Committee headed by Geeta Mukherjee.
  • The committee felt that the phrase “not less than one-third” should be replaced with “as nearly as may be, one-third“.
  • Other recommendations included:
    • reservation of seats in Rajya Sabha,
    • consideration for Other backward Classes (OBCs), and
    • the period of time women should hold the seat under the reservation.
    • The committee also recommended that one of the Anglo-Indian members should be women, on a rotational basis.
    • A rotation policy was also suggested for states that had existing reservations, in less than three seats, for Scheduled Castes (SCs) and the Scheduled Tribes (STs).
  • Despite multiple attempts by different governments, the Bill remained unpassed due to a lack of political consensus.
• NDA Government (1998-2004)
  • Between 1998 and 2004, the BJP-led National Democratic Alliance (NDA) government, led by Atal Bihari Vajpayee, made several attempts to pass the Women’s Reservation Bill.
  • These attempts were unsuccessful, as the Bill lapsed again.
• UPA government:
  • In 2004, the Congress-led United Progressive Alliance (UPA) government, led by then PM Manmohan Singh, declared its commitment to introduce legislation for one-third reservation for women in Vidhan Sabhas and the Lok Sabha.
    • However, key UPA constituents were opposed to the Bill.
  • In 2008, when the UPA reintroduced the Bill, chaos unfolded in the Parliament.
    • It was later referred to a parliamentary committee, which recommended passing the Bill without further delay, but differences persisted.
  • In 2010, the Bill passed in the Rajya Sabha but failed in the Lok Sabha.

Main issues regarding the Bill

• Linkage with delimitation exercise:
  • The Opposition has questioned the linking of the implementation of women’s reservation with the periodical delimitation exercise as this would mean a prolonged delay in the quota coming into force.
  • The main issue raised was whether this would mean that the women’s quota would not be implemented until the 2031 Census figures are available and delimitation is subsequently done.
  • The decadal Census due in 2021, but delayed due to the COVID-19 pandemic, is yet to be conducted.About Delimitation:
  • Delimitation, or the readjustment of territorial limits of the Lok Sabha and Assembly constituencies, as well as the number of seats in the Assembly and the Lok Sabha in each State, is a periodical exercise done based on the figures available in the latest Census.
  • The last delimitation order of the Delimitation Commission was issued in 2008, fixing the boundaries of all constituencies.
  • However, there is currently a freeze on the readjustment of the number of seats in the State Assemblies and the Lok Sabha.
  • In 2002, Article 82 was amended to the effect that it shall not be necessary to readjust the allocation of Lok Sabha constituencies State-wise and the division of each State into constituencies until the figures of the first Census held after 2026 were available. 
• Issue of sub-quota:
  • Another issue is the question of having a sub-quota for women from Other Backward Classes (OBCs).
  • While there is reservation for SCs and STs in the Lok Sabha and State Legislative Assemblies, there is no separate reservation for OBCs, who constitute more than 40% of the population.
• Minority quota:
  • Some members opposed the Bill on the ground that it should have separate quotas for OBC and Muslim women as both communities are under-represented in Parliament and Legislative Assemblies.

Implications of the Bill:

• At present, there are 82 women in the Lok Sabha.
• After implementation, there should be at least 181 women.
• The share of women will also increase significantly in Legislative Assemblies, where women now comprise less than 10% in 20 States and Union Territories.

Way forward:

• Proposals should be fine tuned to ensure that when it becomes an Act, it is not mere tokenism for women’s political representation.
• It is a fact that local bodies are better represented, with the share of women in panchayati raj institutions well above 50% in several States.
• Lessons must be imbibed on how women at the grassroots level have broken all sorts of barriers, from patriarchal mindsets at home to not being taken seriously in their official duties, and made a difference.
• Women struggle on so many other counts:
  • they have uneven access to health, nutrition and education,
  • there is a lack of safe places,
  • women are also falling out of the workforce — among the G-20 countries, India’s female labour force participation is the lowest at 24%.
• India, which gave women voting rights at the very outset, should not falter when it comes to ensuring better political representation for women.
• For growth, and instituting change in key areas, women need to have their say.Topic 8 : Monsoon ephemerals

Why in news: In parts of Maharashtra, certain plant species wait throughout the year to bloom only during the monsoon.
 

Key details:

• Such plants which blossom only in monsoon are termed ephemerals.
• They are of two types:
  • Annual:
    •  Annual ephemerals form new individuals every year and are seen for a very short period.
    • They form seeds at the end of their life cycle, remaining dormant till the next year.
  • Perennial:
    • Perennials have a source like a tuber or a bulb in the soil, so it is the same individual, but the other parts (stem, flowers) are newly formed.
• Monsoon ephemerals bloom towards the end of May and throughout June, July, August, and September.
• Some other monsoon ephemerals will just form leaves and little branch structures after a few showers.
• These leaves stay for a month or more and then flowering starts, which goes on till July and August.
• The leaves stay till the end of monsoon and then disappear.
• In some plants, like Nervilia and wild yam, flowers appear first and then the leaves.

Examples of some Ephemerals:

• The onset of monsoon brings flowers such as:
  • ground orchids (Nervilia and Eulophia),
  • lilies (crinum lily, pancratium lily, grass lily, star lily),
  • wild yam (suran), and
  • Indian squill.
• The late monsoon brings flowers such as:
  • ground orchids (Habenaria and Peristylus),
  • several types of balsams,
  • hill meadow rue,
  • Dipcadi species,
  • spider-flowers (Corynandra),
  • pond-weeds (Aponogeton),
  • lantern flowers (Ceropegia),
  • bladderworts (Utricularia),
  • pipeworts (Eriocaulon), and
  • species of grasses.

Role of Ephemerals for the ecosystem

• The primary job of these flowers is to act as an important source of nectar and pollen for native pollinators.
• Their presence in all micro habitats on a plateau ensures the appropriate presence of soil and, most importantly, water.

Threats:

• Few of them are threatened due to land use change, and expansion of roadways and infrastructure.