1 – Details of the Abortion Laws:GS II

Topic à Government Policies and Interventions

 ·     

India has had abortion restrictions since:

·      
As the frequency of induced abortions rose in
the 1960s, the Union government established the Shantilal Shah Committee to
investigate the viability of making abortion legal in the country.

·      
The Medical Termination of Pregnancy (MTP) Act
was enacted in 1971 to decrease maternal mortality brought on by unsafe
abortions.

·      
The circumstances under which a medical abortion
may be performed are laid out in this law. Sections 312 and 313 of the Indian
Penal Code do not apply to it (IPC).

·      
Unless they behaved in good faith in an effort
to preserve the pregnant woman’s life, anybody who “voluntarily induces a
woman with child to miscarry” faces a maximum three-year prison sentence,
a fine, or both.

·      
This clause essentially outlaws all abortion in
India.

·      
Regardless of how far along in her pregnancy the
woman is, anyone who induces a miscarriage without the pregnant woman’s
agreement is subject to punishment under Section 313 of the IPC, which carries
fines, life in prison, or a maximum 10-year sentence.

·      
Evolution of MTP from 1971 to 2021:

·      
The MTP Act underwent its most recent amendment
in 2021.

·      
In the years before that, new regulations were
implemented in 2003 to permit the use of misoprostol, a freshly discovered
abortion drug, to end a pregnancy up to seven weeks into it.

·      
The Medical Termination of Pregnancy (Amendment)
Act of 2021 lays forth the conditions in which an abortion on a physician’s
advice is legal.

·      
By virtue of the 2021 Act, the maximum
gestational period at which a woman may undergo a medical abortion was raised
from 20 weeks to 24 weeks.

·      
This updated upper limit is only applicable in
certain circumstances.

·      
Up to 20 weeks of gestation, MTP may now be
prescribed based on the recommendation of a single licenced medical provider.

·      
Two licenced medical specialists’ opinions are
needed between 20 and 24 weeks.

·      
A medical abortion up to 12 weeks of pregnancy
required the approval of one registered doctor under the previous version of
the Act, while abortions up to 20 weeks required the consent of two doctors.

·      
Furthermore, a pregnancy may only be terminated
after 24 weeks of gestation on the grounds of foetal abnormalities by a
four-member Medical Board established in each State in line with the Act.

·      
Despite any of the aforementioned restrictions,
the legislation also provides that an abortion may be performed whenever
necessary by a single licenced medical professional in order to preserve the
pregnant woman’s life.

·      
Due to the 2021 Act’s lack of a spousal consent
requirement, unmarried women may also have an abortion given the aforementioned
conditions. If the lady is a minor, parental permission is necessary.

·      
Court interventions in abortion-related cases:

·      
The decision to continue or end a pregnancy is a
part of a pregnant person’s right to privacy under Article 21 of the
Constitution, as well as their right to life and personal liberty, the Supreme
Court ruled in the landmark Right to Privacy decision in the 2017 case Justice
K.S. Puttaswamy v. Union of India and others. A 37-year-old woman’s request for
a medical abortion at 34 weeks of pregnancy was granted by the Calcutta High
Court despite the fact that the country’s current laws do not permit
unconditional abortions. Given that the fetus’s spine deformity was confirmed
to be incurable, this was done.

·      
After the State Medical Board denied the woman’s
application for MTP, the Court granted this.

·      
Due to this decision, abortions were permitted
in the nation up to the point of delivery.

·      
The anti-abortion statute has the following justifications:

·      
According to a 2018 study published in the
Lancet, as of 2015, India had 15.6 million abortions annually.

·      
The mother performed 27% of abortions, per the
most recent National Family Health Survey 2019–2021, at home.

·      
According to the State of the World Population
Report 2022 by the United Nations Population Fund, unsafe abortions cause over
8 women to perish every day in India (UNFPA).

·      
According to the MTP Act, only gynaecologists or
obstetricians are permitted to perform abortions.

·      
However, the 2019–20 Rural Health Statistics report
from the Ministry of Health and Family Welfare shows that there is a 70% lack
of obstetrician–gynecologists in rural India.

·      
Critics claim that because the law outlaws
abortions at any time, it forces women to have dangerous, unauthorised
abortions.

·      
According to statistics, India performs 80,000
unsafe and illegal abortions per year, many of which result in maternal death.

·      
Because the term “woman” is employed
in the law, pregnant transgender and non-binary people who are medically
capable of having children are excluded.

·      
They are pressured to embrace a gender-binary
identity in place of their original gender identification.

·      
Affordability and societal stigma that encourage
unsafe abortions are other important factors.

·      
Only those with sufficient financial means have
access to the pricy private medical facilities that perform abortions.

·      
Conclusion:

·      
India’s scenario is far from ideal, thus it’s
critical to consider and implement cutting-edge global practises.

·      
Diversity, complete bodily autonomy, and reproductive
fairness should be our goals.

·      
We shouldn’t start managing the nation by
gauging our progress against the rate of retreat.

·      
Legal, medical, and social considerations must
be made while evaluating bodily autonomy and reproductive rights.

·      
It is impossible to say that India is paving the
way for the West until women and non-binary pregnant people have full control
over their own bodies in accordance with these values.

Source à The Indian Express

2 – Details of the Naxalism:GS III

Topic à Internal Security of India

·      
Indian Naxal Movement:

·      
The movement’s early stages were marked by
strong ideological motivation on the part of figures like Charu Majumdar,
Kondapalli Seetharamaiah, Nagabhushan Patnaik, and others who served as its
leaders.

·      
The movement’s focus and personality changed
with time, becoming more brutal and sanguinary.

·      
However, it still gave off the idea that it was
sincerely fighting for the underprivileged and disadvantaged, particularly the
tribal people.

·      
Maoism continues to resonate with some of the
most ideologically dedicated segments at universities and colleges, while
losing some of the backing of the urban intellectuals.

·      
The current hotspots for Maoist activity in
Chhattisgarh are Dantewada, Bastar, Bijapur, and Sukma.

·      
The taxonomy of naxalism has undergone
significant alterations between the early period (1967–1972) and the current
Maoist movement.

·      
It has now developed into a highly organised,
militaristic movement that prioritises terrorising civilian populations over
advancing its own goals.

·      
A coordinated operation by the Special
Operations Group of Odisha and the Greyhounds of Andhra Pradesh cost the
Communist Party of India (Maoist) about 30 of its cadres.

·      
Many believe it was the beginning of the
Naxalite movement’s demise in the nation.

·      
Causes:

·       Political components:

·      
Among the main causes of such uprisings were the
traits of tribal peoples and the democratic system’s contempt for them.

·      
Lack of political influence in India prevents
the disadvantaged sections of society in the impacted states from having
opportunities for structural uplift.

·      
Tribal groups don’t participate in politics
enough.

·      
Economic variables:

·      
There is economic disparity, underdevelopment,
and poverty in Naxal-affected areas.

·      
The invasion of mining firms into the tribal
lands and woods poses a threat to their way of existence.

·      
Native tribal population cut off from their
traditional sources of food and robbed of their territories

·      
The indigenous community does not benefit from
resource extraction.

·      
Deterioration of the environment:

·      
Mining and industrial activity cause
environmental deterioration in the form of the depletion of water and land
resources.

·      
Absence of crucial infrastructure:

·      
poor access to essential services including
sanitization, freedom, food, and freedom.

·      
Due to inequality, ignorance, and a lack of
opportunities, the socially disadvantaged tribals make up the majority of the
Naxalites’ support base.

·      
The following setbacks were experienced by the CRPF during their war
with the Naxals:

·      
The states don’t have a single strategy.

·      
There is insufficient communication between the
Central forces and the state police.

·      
The essential war readiness and training are
lacking among forces in Maoist-affected states.

·      
A formal framework for sharing intelligence among
nations and regions does not yet exist.

·      
In armed conflict, Naxalites have a huge
advantage due to their familiarity with the area.

·      
Government strategy:

·      
Security personnel were heavily deployed in the
naxal-affected areas as part of Operation Green Hunt, which began in 2010. In
2010, there were 223 districts plagued by naxalism; today, there are just 90.

·      
Program for Aspirational Districts:

·      
With a focus on security, development,
preserving the rights and entitlements of local populations, better governance,
and public perception management, the government’s strategy for combatting
left-wing extremism is comprehensive.

·      
Since “Police” and “Public
Order” are topics of state jurisdiction, state governments are primarily
responsible for maintaining law and order.

·      
Implementing the Scheme for Special
Infrastructure in states where left-wing extremism is a problem to address
severe infrastructure shortfalls.

·      
The Ministry of Defense provides help with State
Police training.

·      
support for initiatives that encourage community
policing and civic engagement.

·      
To stop the threat as soon as is practical,
there is a “National Policy and Action Plan to Address Left Wing
Extremism”.

·      
The improvement of the deployment of centralised
forces in the Naxal-infested areas of the state is the goal of anti-left wing
extremism (LWE) policy.

·      
Steps to Take Ahead:

·      
Exemplary leadership is required:

·      
The presence of the Naxals in the nation also
exposes the flaws in the legal system, which has failed to stop the threat.

·      
To counter naxalism, the federal government must
carry out a comprehensive national strategy.

·      
Constant Dialogue:

·      
Discussions between Naxal leaders and government
representatives may lead to a solution.

·      
The Naxalites must be actively engaged in
conversation by the government.

·      
Boost employment while increasing pay:

·      
The villagers had no choice but to join the
Naxals because of the erratic job and living conditions in the region.

·      
If we are to successfully combat Naxalism, we must
first offer the local community possibilities for honest, well-paying jobs.

·      
Plans for relocation and rehabilitation:

·      
The lack of any planning for the resettlement of
the displaced people brought on by the presence of mining grounds, irrigation
areas, industries, etc. in the area has only made the plight of the poor people
worse.

·      
The rehabilitation of the impacted population
needs to be given more thought.

·      
Stop the environment’s destruction:

·      
environmental degradation caused by the
depletion of water and land resources as a result of industrial and mining
activity

·      
The disturbance of village life is bad for the
tourism industry.

·      
Avoid political marginalisation of disadvantaged groups:

·      
Schedule castes, Schedule tribes, and Lower
Classes continue to get unequal treatment from the ruling class.

·      
These marginalised populations are simple
targets for naxals because they don’t participate equitably in political
elections and campaigns.

·      
Lessen discrepancy:

·      
Economic inequality and the widening wealth gap
are two of the primary factors that have contributed to the rise of naxalism.

·      
To combat Naxalism, this gap must be partially
bridged as soon as possible.

·      
Ensure that the requirements of the common people are satisfied:

·      
The use of tribal lands and forests for
industrial interests is one of the main causes of instability.

·      
Lack of access to necessities including food,
clean water, freedom, and education as well as loss of land

·      
Take steps to improve the welfare of the indigenous people:

·      
Due to injustice, ignorance, and a lack of
opportunities, the majority of the Naxalites’ supporters are tribal individuals
who are socially disadvantaged.

·      
Preventing these folks from falling into the
Naxal trap is crucial.

·      
Current law enforcement organisations:

·      
The state governments are in charge of the
majority of law enforcement.

·      
The Union Ministry of Home Affairs is in charge
of a number of federal agencies.

·      
The federal government must move into these
unstable areas while assisting the sometimes under-resourced state authorities.
It does this by arming its agencies with cutting-edge artillery.

·      
How to move forward:

·      
The administration, the security system, and the
federal and state governments must all recognise that the movement cannot be
treated purely from a law and order perspective.

·      
If the movement is to be successfully stopped,
it is clear that the process of improving the lives of the underprivileged and
indigenous people must be accelerated.

·      
Changing the thinking of the tribal population
and other marginalised groups will be the counterinsurgency campaign’s main
goal.

·      
Improvements to the road and rail network will
help to suppress Maoist propaganda and promote economic growth.

·      
The effectiveness of security force operations
would also increase as a result of the improved road connectivity.

Source à
The Indian Express

3 – About the India’s
First Space Mission:GS III

Topic à Space Technology

·      
About:

·      
the Indian Space Research Organization’s
Gaganyaan mission (ISRO).

·      
The Gaganyaan timetable calls for the launch of
three missions into orbit.

·      
One manned and two unmanned space missions will
take place.

·      
Three Indian astronauts, including one woman,
would travel aboard the Gaganyaan system module, also known as the Orbital
Module.

·      
It will spend 5-7 days in a low Earth orbit
300–400 km above the planet.

·      
Payloads:

·      
The crew module, a spacecraft that carries
humans, will be the cargo.

·      
powered by two liquid-propellant engines
installed on service modules.

·      
Features for mission cancellation and emergency
evacuation will be included.

·      
Launch: The three-stage heavy lift launch
vehicle GSLV Mk III, also known as the LVM-3 (Launch Vehicle Mark-3), will be
used to launch Gaganyaan because it has the required payload capacity.

·      
Russian Role in the Mission:

·      
In June 2019, a contract for the training was
signed between the Russian government’s Glavkosmos and the ISRO’s Human Space
Flight Centre. It entails Russian assistance with applicant selection, medical
testing, and training in space.

·      
The candidates will get a close-up look at the
Soyuz manned spacecraft’s hardware and get some practise in short-term
weightlessness on the Il-76MDK jet.

·      
The Russian spacecraft Soyuz was created. The
Soyuz shuttles cargo and people between Earth and the space station.

·      
A military transport aircraft called the
Il-76MDK was created expressly for parabolic flights by would-be astronauts and
space tourists.

·       Importance:

·      
Young people will be inspired, and the nation’s
level of science and technology will rise.

·      
Gaganyaan will encompass a diverse range of
departments, organisations, labs, academic disciplines, and commercial
enterprises.

·      
It will support the expansion of industry.

·      
In an effort to boost business participation in
the space sector, the government has founded a new organisation called
IN-SPACe.

·      
It will advance technology for societal
improvement.

·      
It will contribute to bettering global
cooperation.

·      
It may not be enough to have just one
International Space Station (ISS), which was built by many different nations.
Gaganyaan will concentrate on fulfilling regional demands for the security of
food, water, and energy, and local ecosystems will be required.

Source à The Science Reporter

4 –Details of the LoC:

Prelims Specific Topic

·      
About the LoC:

·      
After the July 3, 1972, Simla Agreement, the
“Line of Control,” formerly known as the “Cease-fire Line,”
was given a new name.

·      
The state of Jammu and Kashmir is the name given
to the portion of Jammu that is under Indian authority. Gilgit-Baltistan and
Azad Jammu & Kashmir are autonomous areas under Pakistani rule. The Line of
Control’s northernmost point is known as NJ9842.

·      
The area of Aksai Chin, which is governed by
China, and the Indian state of Jammu & Kashmir are divided by yet another
ceasefire line.

·      
Kashmir was divided in two by the Line of
Control, which also barred access to the Jehlum valley.

·      
Commerce and Trade Along the LoC:

·      
The purpose of the LoC commerce in Jammu and
Kashmir is to make it easier for regional groups to trade frequently used
items.

·      
Two Trade Facilitation Centers—one in the
districts of Chakkan-da-Bagh and Salamabad, Uri, of Poonch—allow trade.

·      
Only on those four days of the week is the
trading permitted.

Source à The Hindu