. No.	Topic Name	Prelims/Mains
	About the Minimum Support Price	Prelims & Mains
	Details of the Cryptocurrency in India	Prelims & Mains
	About the Abortion Laws in India	Prelims & Mains
	Details of the Line of Control	Prelims Specific Topic

 

1 – About the Minimum Support Price: 

GS III 

Topic  Agriculture related issues

 

About:

 

The rate at which the government buys crops from farmers is known as the MSP, and it is calculated as being at least 1.5 times the farmers’ production expenses.

Any crop the government determines to be profitable for farmers and hence deserving of “assistance” has a “minimum price” (MSP) established for it.

According to the Commission for Agricultural Costs & Prices, sugarcane is one of 22 required crops and one of the MSP-recommended crops (CACP).

CACP is the name of a division within the Ministry of Agriculture and Farmers Welfare.

The list of necessary crops consists of 14 crops for the kharif season, 6 crops for the rabi season, and 2 more commercial crops.

Additionally, the MSPs for de-husked coconut and toria are established using the MSPs for copra and rapeseed/mustard, respectively.

Criteria for Suggesting the MSP: When recommending the MSP for a product, the CACP takes into account a variety of factors, including the cost of cultivation.

The dynamics of supply and demand for the commodity, price trends on both the domestic and global markets, parity with respect to other crops, consumer effects (inflation), environmental effects (soil and water consumption), and trade agreements between the agricultural and non-agricultural sectors are all taken into account.

 

There are three various production cost types:

 

For each crop, the CACP calculates three different types of average production costs at both the state and national levels for India.

‘A2’: Covers all of the farmer’s direct costs, including fuel, irrigation, hired labour, leased land, pesticides, fertiliser, and seeds.

“A2+FL” stands for A2 plus an imputed value for unpaid family labour.

“C2”: This cost is more thorough and includes fixed capital assets, interest forgone on owned land, and rentals in addition to A2+FL.

CACP considers both A2+FL and C2 costs when advising MSP.

The return cost is simply estimated by CACP as A2+FL.

However, C2 costs are primarily used by CACP as benchmark reference costs (opportunity costs) to assess whether the MSPs they recommend at least cover these costs in some of the major producing States.

The Cabinet Committee on Economic Affairs (CCEA) of the Union government makes the ultimate decision on the MSP level and other recommendations made by CACP.

 

Why is MSP necessary?

 

Due to the twin droughts of 2014 and 2015, farmers have been forced to deal with declining commodity prices since 2014.

The rural economy was hurt by the simultaneous shocks of demonetization and the implementation of the GST, especially the non-farm sector but also agriculture.

Due to the epidemic, the decline in the economy after 2016–17, and other issues, the majority of farmers still live in insecure situations.

Cost increases for fuel, energy, and fertilisers have only gotten worse.

 

What Issues Concern India’s MSP Regime?

 

Despite the official release of MSPs for 23 different crops, only two commodities—rice and wheat—are purchased because they are distributed through NFSA (National Food Security Act). The rest is mostly incidental and unimportant.

Ineffectively Implemented: In 2015, the Shanta Kumar Committee estimated that farmers could only obtain 6% of the MSP. This immediately means that 94% of farmers in the country do not profit from the MSP.

The current MSP policy has no impact on domestic market prices. It serves as a procurement price rather than an MSP because its primary function is to satisfy NFSA requirements.

Farmers are prevented from producing other crops and horticulture goods because of the overproduction of rice and wheat brought on by the unbalanced MSP system, which may increase farmers’ revenue.

The MSP-based procurement system also depends on middlemen, commission agents, and APMC officials, all of whom are out of the reach of smaller farmers.

 

Way Ahead:

 

True MSPs demand that the government step in if market prices fall below a predetermined level, usually when there is an excess of production and supply or when external factors have caused a price collapse.

MSP can also be a motivating price for many of the products that are desirable for nutritional security, such as coarse cereals, as well as for pulses and edible oils for which India is dependent on imports.

Spending more money on nutrient-dense foods like fruits and vegetables, together with fisheries and animal husbandry, is the way to wisdom.

The best way to invest is to give companies financial incentives to build valuable value chains based on cluster strategies.

A transitional plan for agricultural pricing must be developed by the government, in which some agricultural pricing should be supported by the government and some should be decided by the market.

One method to accomplish this would be to create a shortfall payment plan modelled after the Bhavantar Bhugtan Yojana (BBY) of Madhya Pradesh.

 

Source  The Press Information Bureau

 

2 – Details of the Cryptocurrency in India:

GS III 

Topic  Economy related issues

 

What is cryptocurrency?

 

Cryptocurrency, often known as crypto-currency or crypto, is any kind of money that exists digitally or virtually and uses encryption to protect transactions.

As opposed to being issued or regulated by a central authority, cryptocurrencies use a decentralised process to keep track of transactions and generate new units.

It is supported by the blockchain, a decentralised peer-to-peer network.

 

What Benefits Can We Get from Using Cryptocurrency?

 

Transactions that happen quickly and affordably: Using cryptocurrency to conduct international transactions is substantially more cost-effective because there are fewer middlemen involved.

Investment Location: Similar to gold, the supply of cryptocurrencies is limited. Furthermore, during the past few years, the cost of cryptocurrencies has risen faster than the cost of conventional financial assets.

Investment in cryptocurrency may consequently gain popularity.

Anti-inflationary Currency: Since cryptocurrencies are in such high demand, their prices have largely kept rising. People are more inclined to hold cryptocurrencies in this scenario than to actually use them.

As a result, there will be deflation in the currency.

Why are countries like the CAR making cryptocurrencies a recognised payment method?

Strong and Inclusive Growth: If put into practise, the proposal will enable “strong and inclusive growth” and place the African country on the “map of the most courageous and forward-thinking nations in the world.”

One of the poorest and most unstable economies in the world is CAR, which has a population of 5 million people.

In July 2021, the World Bank predicted that 71% of its population would be below the $1.90 per day federal poverty line.

Positive Growth: It’s possible that countries that permit the use of cryptocurrency and inflation are related.

Cryptocurrencies can reverse the decline in legal tender caused by inflation and turn it into growth.

For CRA, this potential direct relationship would be crucial. According to the IMF, rising food and fuel prices would cause the country’s inflation rate to reach 4% in 2022.

 

The geopolitical significance of this:

 

The two countries that recognised Bitcoin as a form of payment do not have their own currencies.

The CAR franc is the common currency among 14 African nations; El Salvador uses the US dollar.

These countries, the majority of which were formerly French colonies, make up the so-called “Franc Zone.”

Avoid the Imposition of Sanctions and the Embargo: Because of the U.S. blockade, countries like Cuba are unable to access international financial systems or get financial tools like debit or credit cards. As a result, they find it difficult to travel overseas and buy goods and services there.

 

What drawbacks exist?

 

Extremely Volatile: Because they are unregulated, cryptocurrencies are very volatile investments. Concerns have been expressed regarding how volatility may affect a country’s macroeconomic stability, particularly those with shaky socioeconomic fundamentals.

Many countries have recently considered implementing laws that would regulate the use of cryptocurrencies, notably those with deficient monetary systems and chronic inflation.

Uncontrolled Nature: The International Monetary Fund (IMF) had additionally advised El Salvador to limit the use of unregulated assets because of the serious risks that Bitcoin use poses to consumer protection, financial stability, and integrity, as well as the associated fiscal contingent liabilities.

Paying Taxes in Cryptocurrencies: If tax payments were done using crypto assets but that local currency was still used for purchases, the risks of paying taxes in cryptocurrencies would become apparent for countries like CRA.

If the government, for instance, utilises cryptocurrencies to collect $100 in taxes, a drop in the asset’s value frees up $40 for spending.

Not a Clearly Defined Mechanism: Since cryptocurrencies are speculative assets and are not linked to a particular mechanism like stocks or currencies are, central banks would not be able to decide the proper interest rates for their domestic purposes.

Blockchains could be misused to track transactions but not the people involved. As a result, it may be used for crimes like financing terrorism or money laundering.

Source  The Reserve Bank of India Website

 

3 – About the Abortion Laws in India: 

GS II 

Topic  Government Policies and Interventions

Abortion laws in India have existed since:

 

In the 1960s, as the number of induced abortions increased, the Union government ordered the creation of the Shantilal Shah Committee to study the possibility of legalising abortion in the nation.

To reduce maternal mortality brought on by unsafe abortions, the Medical Termination of Pregnancy (MTP) Act was passed in 1971.

This law specifies the conditions under which a medical abortion may be carried out. It is an exception to Sections 312 and 313 of the Indian Penal Code (IPC).

Under Section 312 of the IPC, anybody who “voluntarily induces a woman with child to miscarry” faces a maximum three-year prison sentence, a fine, or both, unless they acted in good faith in an effort to save the pregnant woman’s life.

This provision practically forbids all abortion in India.

A person who causes a miscarriage without the pregnant woman’s consent is punishable under Section 313 of the IPC with a fine, life in jail, or a maximum 10-year prison term, regardless of how far along in her pregnancy the lady is.

 

MTP evolution from 1971 until 2021:

 

In 2021, the MTP Act had its most current change.

Prior to that, new rules were put in place in 2003 to allow the use of misoprostol, a recently discovered abortion medicine, to terminate a pregnancy up to seven weeks into it.

The Medical Termination of Pregnancy (Amendment) Act of 2021 specifies the circumstances under which an abortion following a doctor’s recommendation is permitted.

The maximum gestational period at which a woman may have a medical abortion was increased from 20 weeks by the 2021 Act to 24 weeks.

This revised upper limit is only valid under specific conditions.

MTP may now be available based on the advice of a single licenced medical professional up to 20 weeks of gestation.

Between 20 and 24 weeks, two licenced medical specialists’ opinions are required.

Under the previous version of the Act, a medical abortion up to 12 weeks of pregnancy required the consent of one registered doctor, whereas abortions up to 20 weeks required the consent of two doctors.

Furthermore, only a four-member Medical Board constituted in each State in accordance with the Act may end a pregnancy after 24 weeks of gestation on the grounds of foetal abnormalities.

The law also states that an abortion may be carried out anytime necessary by a single licenced medical expert in order to save the pregnant woman’s life, despite any of the aforementioned restrictions.

Unmarried women may also get an abortion under the aforementioned criteria because the 2021 Act does not require spousal approval. If the lady is a minor, a guardian’s consent is required.

 

Interventions by the courts in cases involving abortions:

 

The Supreme Court ruled in the historic Right to Privacy decision in the 2017 case Justice K.S. Puttaswamy v. Union of India and others that a pregnant person’s choice to continue or end a pregnancy is a part of that person’s right to privacy as well as their right to life and personal liberty under Article 21 of the Constitution. Although the nation’s existing legal framework forbids unconditional abortions,

A 37-year-old woman requested a medical abortion at 34 weeks of pregnancy in February 2022, and the Calcutta High Court accepted her plea because the foetus was found to have an incurable spinal condition.

The Court granted this after the State Medical Board rejected the woman’s application for MTP.

This ruling made abortion legal in the country up until the current stage of pregnancy.

 

The following are defences of the anti-abortion law:

 

According to a 2018 research in the Lancet, India has 15.6 million abortions yearly as of 2015.

According to the most recent National Family Health Survey 2019–2021, 27% of abortions were carried out at home by the mother.

According to the United Nations Population Fund’s State of the World Population Report 2022, almost 8 women die every day in India as a result of unsafe abortions (UNFPA).

Only gynaecologists or obstetricians are authorised to perform abortions in accordance with the MTP Act.

However, the Ministry of Health and Family Welfare’s 2019–20 Rural Health Statistics report reveals that there is a 70% shortage of obstetrician–gynecologists in rural India.

Critics assert that because the law forbids anytime abortions, it forces women to get risky, illegal abortions.

Statistics show that 8,00,000 unsafe and illegal abortions, many of which result in maternal death, are performed each year in India.

Pregnant transgender and non-binary people who are physiologically able to bear children are not included because the term “woman” is used in the law.

They are forced to reject their gender identity and adopt a gender-binary one instead.

Other significant issues are affordability and social stigma that promote risky abortions.

Only those with adequate finances have access to the expensive private medical clinics that offer abortion procedures.

 

Way Ahead:

 

Given that India’s situation is far from perfect, it is important to think about and adopt innovative practises from around the world.

We should strive for diversity, complete physical autonomy, and reproductive equity.

We shouldn’t begin running the country by measuring our advancement by the rate of regression.

When assessing bodily autonomy and reproductive rights, one must take into account legal, medical, and social factors.

Until women and non-binary pregnant people have complete control over their own bodies in accordance with these principles, it is impossible to suggest that India is paving the way for the West.

 

 

Source  The Hindu

 

 

 

 

4 – Details of the Line of Control: 

Prelims Specific Topic

 

About:

 

The “Line of Control,” originally known as the “Cease-fire Line,” received a new name after the Simla Agreement, which was signed on July 3, 1972.

The area of Jammu that is controlled by India is known as the state of Jammu and Kashmir. Azad Jammu & Kashmir and Gilgit-Baltistan are independent regions governed by Pakistan. The northernmost point of the Line of Control is designated as NJ9842.

Another ceasefire line separates the Chinese-controlled Aksai Chin region from the Indian state of Jammu & Kashmir.

The Line of Control, which also prevented access to the Jehlum valley, split Kashmir in two.

 

Economy along the LoC:

 

Jammu and Kashmir’s LoC trade exists to facilitate the exchange of frequently used goods among local groups.

Trade is permitted at two Trade Facilitation Centers, one each in the districts of Chakkan-da-Bagh and Poonch’s Salamabad, Uri, and.

The trade is only allowed on those four days of the week.

There are no duties involved in the transaction; it is a barter system.

 

Source  The Indian Express

 

 

 

 

EDITORIAL ANALYSIS  10 SEPTEMBER 2022  THE INDIAN EXPRESS:

 

PLACES OF WORSHIP ACT:

 

About:

 

The law is “An Act to prohibit the conversion of any place of worship and to provide for the maintenance of the religious character of any place of worship as it existed on the fifteenth day of August 1947, and for matters connected therewith or incidental thereto,” according to its official description.

 

Exemption:

 

The controversial Ayodhya site was exempt from the Act. This loophole allowed the Ayodhya case trial to go on long after the law had been put into effect.

The Act excluded the following in addition to the Ayodhya conflict:

Any house of worship that is also a historical or archaeological site is subject to the Ancient Monuments and Archaeological Sites and Remains Act of 1958.

an instance of a case that has been won or rejected.

any dispute settled between the parties and any conversion of property made with the consent of the parties prior to the effective date of the Act.

 

Penalty:

 

According to Section 6 of the Act, breaking the law carries a fine and a jail sentence of up to three years.

 

Criticism:

 

It has been argued that the statute violates the Constitution’s fundamental right to judicial review, imposes a “arbitrary unjustified retrospective cutoff date,” and inhibits the freedom of religion of Hindus, Jains, Buddhists, and Sikhs.

 

What Clauses Is It Made Up Of?

 

The conversion of a place of worship belonging to one religious denomination into another, or even into a different branch of the same religion, is prohibited by Section 3 of the Act in whole or in part.

The religious essence of a house of worship “shall remain to be the same as it existed” on August 15, 1947, according to Section 4(1).

Any litigation or legal action pertaining to the conversion of a place of worship that existed on August 15, 1947, and was pending before a court, is to be dismissed, and no new lawsuit or legal action shall be launched, according to Section 4(2).

The exception to this section applies to cases that are still pending on the day the Act takes effect if they involve the conversion of a house of worship’s religious character after the cutoff date.

The Ramjanmabhoomi-Babri Masjid case and any litigation, appeal, or other proceeding related to it are immune from the Act’s application, according to Section 5.

What position did the Supreme Court adopt in the Ayodhya ruling?

In the 2019 Ayodhya decision, the Constitution Bench referred to the Act and held that it represents the secular values of the Constitution and prohibits retrogression.

As a result, the law is a mechanism designed by the legislature to protect the secular elements of Indian politics, which are one of the guiding principles of the Constitution.

 

 

 

EDITORIAL ANALYSIS  10 SEPTEMBER 2022 THE HINDU:

 

TRANSGENDERS PERSONS:

 

About:

 

Although there are still difficulties in their daily lives, the government supported the empowerment and general well-being of the transgender community by passing the Transgender Persons (Protection of Rights) Act, 2019.

 

Despite the gender binary still being employed in government organisations today, the Supreme Court recognised transgender people as a “third gender.”

 

The transgender community faces the following obstacles:

 

Discrimination and racism:

 

Their general well-being is seriously harmed by the discrimination they encounter at work, in school settings, and even within their own families.

 

Identity crisis:

 

Despite the government passing the Transgender Persons (Protection of Rights) Act, 2019, which gives the community the freedom to self-identify as a particular gender, they are frequently pressured to do so at work.

 

Social Disgrace:

 

When they attempt to adopt a child or inherit property, they frequently encounter difficulties. Despite having excellent credentials, they are pressured into prostitute job or forced into it by their social marginalisation.

 

Unemployment:

 

The community has few employment opportunities and faces severe workplace discrimination as a result of the associated societal shame.

 

Lack of public amenities:

 

They have a concern with how easily accessible public restrooms and other facilities are. They commonly run into problems in hospitals, classrooms, and jails.

 

Projects for Transgender Individuals:

 

2019’s Protection of Transgender Persons’ Rights:

 

The measure approved by the Parliament aims to end discrimination against transgender persons in the areas of access to healthcare, employment, and education in addition to recognising the right to one’s own self-perceived gender identity.

 

Center for National Transgender Resources:

 

A website has been developed by the Ministry of Social Justice and Empowerment to assist members of the transgender community in applying electronically for a Certificate and Identity card from any location in the country.

 

The biggest benefit is that it makes it possible for transgender persons to get their Certificate of Identity without having to engage with anyone or travel to a place.

 

By using the Portal, they may monitor the status of their application and ensure transparency in the application process.

 

Garima Greh:

 

The program’s objective is to provide transgender people with housing, food, shelter, healthcare, and recreational opportunities.

Additionally, it will assist community members in developing their abilities and talents so they can live respectably and dignified lives.

According to the Transgender Persons (Protection of Rights) Act of 2019, the National Council for Transgender Persons was established to carry out the following responsibilities for the welfare of the transgender community:

To assess and coordinate the work being done by various government agencies, as well as other governmental and non-governmental organisations, on matters pertaining to transgender people; To offer advice to the central government on the creation of transgender-related policies, programmes, laws, and projects; To track and evaluate the outcomes of programmes and policies intended to advance equality for transgender people and their full participation;

must perform any additional responsibilities outlined by the Central Government.

According to the Union government, reservations for the transgender community would be given under the OBC category of employment.

To carry out the requirements of the Transgender Persons (Protection of Rights) Act, 2019, the government produced the Transgender Persons (Protection of Rights) Rules, 2020.

 

 

Creating the Transgender Persons (Protection of Rights) Act of 2019:

 

In order to better understand the problems transgender people face and offer solutions, an expert group was founded in 2013.

In its ruling in the 2014 case of National Legal Services Authority v. Union of India, the Supreme Court described transgender people as belonging to a “third gender.” Transgender people were also given the ability to self-identify as a gender, and they were also notified that the fundamental rights would apply to them equally.

A private member’s bill titled “The Rights of Transgendered Persons” was presented to the Rajya Sabha in 2014. However, this Bill was repealed.

A Standing Committee reviewed the Transgender Persons (Protection of Rights) Bill, 2019, which was introduced by the government in 2016.

2019 saw the implementation of the Transgender Persons (Protection of Rights) Act, which was passed by both the house and senate.

2020: The establishment of the National Council for Transgender Persons in compliance with the aforementioned statutes.

 

Upcoming steps to take:

 

The establishment of the National Council for Transgender Persons was a step in the right direction toward integrating the community into society and increasing respect for the transgender population.

Effectiveness: The state and civil society must cooperate to ensure that the council is able to recognise and handle the issues that the community is facing.

Through social engineering, the society needs to be made aware that the community is a part of us and that we are equals.

Law enforcement sensitivity training: Making the legal and law enforcement institutions more aware of the problems the community faces is also crucial.

Revisions to the 2019 Transgender Persons (Protection of Rights) Statute: The government must fix some issues with the act. the following

Reservations for transgender people are not included in the Act.

There is a provision for punishing organised begging because it has a coercive nature and many community members lack legitimate employment opportunities.

The rape or sexual assault of a transgender person is not prohibited by law.