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[DAILY CURRENT AFFAIRS, 18 APRIL 2023]

LONG-PERIOD AVERAGE (LPA)

 
 
 
1. Context
The country is likely to receive a normal monsoon for the fourth consecutive year, the India Meteorological Department (IMD) said in its first Long Range Forecast (LRF) for this year released on Thursday (April 14).

Rainfall in the four-month June-September southwest monsoon season was in the normal range in 2019, 2020, and 2021 as well

2. About Long Period Average (LPA)

  • The IMD predicts a “normal”, “below normal”, or “above normal” monsoon in relation to a benchmark “long period average” (LPA)
  • According to the IMD, the “LPA of rainfall is the rainfall recorded over a particular region for a given interval (like month or season) average over a long period like 30 years, 50 years, etc”
  • The IMD’s prediction of a normal monsoon on Thursday was based on the LPA of the 1971-2020 period, during which India received 87 cm of rain for the entire country on average
  • The IMD has in the past calculated the LPA at 88 cm for the 1961-2010 period, and at 89 cm for the period 1951-2000
  • While this quantitative benchmark refers to the average rainfall recorded from June to September for the entire country, the amount of rain that falls every year varies from region to region and from month to month
  • Therefore, along with the countrywide figure, the IMD also maintains LPAs for every meteorological region of the country  this number ranges from around 61 cm for the drier Northwest India to more than 143 cm for the wetter East and Northeast India
  • LPA of the southwest monsoon rainfall over Kerala: 556 mm, 659 mm, 427 mm and 252 mm for the months of June, July, August, and September respectively
  • Broken down monthwise for the entire country, the LPA figures for the season are 16.36 cm for June, 28.92 cm for July, 26.13 cm for August, and 17.34 cm for September

3. Need of LPA

  • The IMD records rainfall data at more than 2,400 locations and 3,500 rain-gauge stations
  • Because annual rainfall can vary greatly not just from region to region and from month to month, but also from year to year within a particular region or month, an LPA is needed to smooth out trends so that a reasonably accurate prediction can be made
  • A 50-year LPA covers for large variations in either direction caused by freak years of unusually high or low rainfall (as a result of events such as El Nino or La Nina)
  • As well as for the periodic drought years and the increasingly common extreme weather events caused by climate change

4.IMD Calculations

Quantitatively, the monsoon seasonal (June to September) rainfall is likely to be 99% of the LPA with a model error of ± 5%. The LPA of the season rainfall over the country as a whole for the period 1971-2020 is 87 cm

The IMD maintains five rainfall distribution categories on an all-India scale. These are:

  • Normal or near normal, when the percentage departure of actual rainfall is +/-10% of LPA, that is, between 96-104% of LPA
  • Below normal, when departure of actual rainfall is less than 10% of LPA, that is 90-96% of LPA
  • Above normal, when actual rainfall is 104-110% of LPA
  • Deficient, when departure of actual rainfall is less than 90% of LPA
  • Excess, when the departure of actual rainfall is more than 110% of LPA
 
5. About India Meteorological Department
  • The beginnings of meteorology in India can be traced to ancient times. Early philosophical writings of the 3000 B.C. era, such as the Upanishadas, contain serious discussion about the processes of cloud formation and rain and the seasonal cycles caused by the movement of earth round the sun
  • Varahamihira's classical work, the Brihatsamhita, written around 500 A.D., provides a clear evidence that a deep knowledge of atmospheric processes existed even in those times
  • It was understood that rains come from the sun (Adityat Jayate Vrishti) and that good rainfall in the rainy season was the key to bountiful agriculture and food for the people
  • Kautilya's Arthashastra contains records of scientific measurements of rainfall and its application to the country's revenue and relief work. Kalidasa in his epic, 'Meghdoot', written around the seventh century, even mentions the date of onset of the monsoon over central India and traces the path of the monsoon clouds
  • Meteorology, as we perceive it now, may be said to have had its firm scientific foundation in the 17th century after the invention of the thermometer and the barometer and the formulation of laws governing the behaviour of atmospheric gases
  • It was in 1636 that Halley, a British scientist, published his treatise on the Indian summer monsoon, which he attributed to a seasonal reversal of winds due to the differential heating of the Asian land mass and the Indian Ocean
  • India is fortunate to have some of the oldest meteorological observatories of the world. The British East India Company established several such stations, for example, those at Calcutta in 1785 and Madras (now Chennai) in 1796 for studying the weather and climate of India
  • The Asiatic Society of Bengal founded in 1784 at Calcutta, and in 1804 at Bombay (now Mumbai), promoted scientific studies in meteorology in India
  • A disastrous tropical cyclone struck Calcutta in 1864 and this was followed by failures of the monsoon rains in 1866 and 1871
  • In the year 1875, the Government of India established the India Meteorological Department, bringing all meteorological work in the country under a central authority
  • The first Director General of Observatories was Sir John Eliot who was appointed in May 1889 at Calcutta headquarters
  • The headquarters of IMD were later shifted to Shimla, then to Poona (now Pune) and finally to New Delhi
  • From a modest beginning in 1875, IMD has progressively expanded its infrastructure for meteorological observations, communications, forecasting and weather services and it has achieved a parallel scientific growth
  • IMD has always used contemporary technology. In the telegraph age, it made extensive use of weather telegrams for collecting observational data and sending warnings
  • Later IMD became the first organisation in India to have a message-switching computer for supporting its global data exchange.
  • One of the first few electronic computers introduced in the country was provided to IMD for scientific applications in meteorology
  • India was the first developing country in the world to have its own geostationary satellite, INSAT, for continuous weather monitoring of this part of the globe and particularly for cyclone warning
  • IMD has continuously ventured into new areas of application and service and steadily built upon its infrastructure in its history of 140 years
  • It has simultaneously nurtured the growth of meteorology and atmospheric science in India. Today, meteorology in India is poised at the threshold of an exciting future
 
 
For Prelims: IMD, Long Period Average, El Nino, La Nino
For Mains: 1.What characteristics can be assigned to monsoon climate that succeeds in feeding more than 50 percent of the won population residing in Monsoon Asia? (UPSC GS 1 2017
 
 
Previous Year Questions:
1.La Nina is suspected to have caused recent floods in Australia. How is La Nina different from El Nino? (UPSC 2011 )
  1. La Nina is characterized by unusually cold ocean temperature in equatorial Indian Ocean whereas El Nino is characterized by unusually warm ocean temperature in the equatorial Pacific Ocean.
  2. El Nino has adverse effect on south-west monsoon of India, but La Nina has no effect on monsoon climate.
  3. Which of the statements given above is/are correct?
A. 1 only
B. 2 only
C. Both 1 and 2
D. Neither 1 nor 2
Answer (D)
2.The seasonal reversal of winds is the typical characteristic of (UPSC 2014 )
A. Equatorial climate
B. Mediterranean climate
C. Monsoon climate
D. All of the above climates
Answer (C)
3.With reference to ‘Indian Ocean Dipole (IOD)’ sometimes mentioned in the news while forecasting Indian monsoon, which of the following statements is/are correct? (2017 Prelims)
  1. IOD phenomenon is characterized by a difference in sea surface temperature between the tropical Western Indian Ocean and the tropical Eastern Pacific Ocean.
  2. An IOD phenomenon can influence an El Nino’s impact on the monsoon.Select the correct answer using the code given below:
A. 1 only
B. 2 only
C. Both 1 and 2
D. Neither 1 nor 2
 
Answer (B)
4.Consider the following statements: (2015)
  1. The winds which blow between 30 N and 60 S latitudes throughout the year are known as westerlies.
  2. The moist air masses that cause winter rains in the North Western region of India are part of westerlies.Which of the statements given above is/are correct?
A. 1 only
B. 2 only
C. Both 1 and 2
D. Neither 1 nor 2
 
Answer (B)
Source: India Meteorological Department, indianexpress

SACHAR COMMITTEE

1. Context

Reports that the Union government intends to appoint a national commission to study the status of Dalits (ex "untouchable" castes) belonging to the Muslim and Christian communities are, to say the least, intriguing.

2. Key points

  • Even if the motivations behind it may be murky, the move itself is welcome because the issue is crystal clear.
  • This was established through a 2008 review study commissioned by the National Commission of Minorities (NCM) and housed in the Sociology Department of Delhi University.
  • The study reviewed two main kinds of the available evidence, ethnographic-descriptive and macro-statistical, in addition to semi-academic NGO reports and publications.
  • The freshly conducted part of the study was an extensive analysis of the unit-level data from the latest large-sample survey of the National Sample Survey Organisation (NSSO).

3. The existence of caste divisions

  • The Survey of ethnographic materials began with the finding that the existence of caste divisions including the presence of ex-"untouchable" castes recognised as such among both Muslims and Christians was beyond dispute.
  • Dalit Muslims (DMs) and Dalit Christians (DCs) were identified and segregated much like their counterparts in the Hindu or Sikh communities.
  • The case of Buddhism is different because the overwhelming majority around 95 per cent of India's Buddhists are Dalits.
  • As expected, there was significant variation in specific practices of discrimination and segregation across regions and communities, but this is common to Hinduism and Sikhism as well.

3.1. Caste-based social discrimination

Evidence was tabulated on five forms of caste-based social discrimination
  1. The practice of untouchability
  2. Enforced ban on inter-marriage
  3. Occupational segregation
  4. Social and cultural segregation and
  5. Economic discrimination.

In each of these sites of discrimination, strong evidence was found to prove that DMs and DCs suffered broadly the same treatment as their fellow Dalits in other religions.
  1. The most common instances were separate mosques or churches (or hierarchically segregated seating)
  2. Separate burial grounds
  3. Strict prohibition on inter-marriage with very severe punishments (sometimes extending to murder) for breaking this taboo and
  4. General avoidance of social interaction and cooperation.

3.2. Economic status

The analysis of the NSSO unit-level data employed five criteria for measuring the relative economic status
  1. Proportions of the population in poverty or affluence
  2. Intra-community differences between Dalits and non-Dalits
  3. Average levels of consumption
  4. Occupational structure and 
  5. Educational levels

4. Survey findings

  • The main findings were that DMs are the worst off among all Dalits, while DCs are somewhat better off than other Dalits except for Sikh Dalits (Who are by far the best off, especially in the rural sector).
  • As expected, DMs and DCs were significantly under-represented among the affluent and over-represented among the poor.
  • The quantitative section was only indicative since it was handicapped by the small number of households in the NSSO sample that met the double criteria of religion and caste and by the variations in self-reported official categories.

5. Lack of reliable data

  • There is a circularity about the lack of data that needs to be emphasised.
  • Official national-level data usually more reliable than other kinds does not exist on DMs and DCs because they are not recognised as Scheduled Castes.
  • Responding to petitions seeking recognition, the courts accept that "Caste survives conversion" but complain about the lack of reliable data. No recognition, no data; no data, no recognition.
  • But the larger reality here is that the refusal to recognise DMs and DCs is not because of data or administrative-financial issues.

6. 2004-05 NSSO survey

  • Informal guesstimates (based on the 2001 Census and 2004-05 NSSO survey) place the proportion of DMs at 1 per cent or less of the Muslim population and DCs as anything between 40-50 per cent of the Christian population of India.
  • As per the 2011 census, Muslims are 14.2 per cent and Christians are 2.3 per cent of our population.
  • Taken together, DMs and DCs are likely to form less than 2 per cent of the total Dalit population of India, more than 90 per cent of which is Hindu.
  • Adding DMs and DCs will not rock the boat of reservation, since the increment will be roughly one-fifth of the 10 per cent reservation readily granted to the upper castes as the Economically Weaker Sections.

7. Social discrimination

  • The existing evidence already shows that DMs and DCs suffer from the same kind of social discrimination as Hindus or Sikh Dalits.
  • Like Muslim and Christian scripture, Sikh and especially Buddhist scripture do not recognise caste.
  • Therefore, granting Dalit Sikhs and Buddhists reservations while denying them to DMs and DCs is plain hypocrisy.
  • In India, every Hindu, Muslim, Christian or Sikh also has a caste identity, whether chosen or imposed.
  • And in every single community without exception, the Dalit vs non-Dalit divide is the most intensely and brutally patrolled border between social groups.
  • Despite a rate consensus that there is no administrative, rational or moral reason to treat Dalits of different religions differently, no government has addressed this issue.
  • It is wise to remember that "study commissions" are the classic device of evasion and suffer widely varying fates.
 
For Prelims: National Commission of Minorities, National Sample Survey Organisation, Dalit Muslims, Dalit Christians, Caste survive conversion, study commissions, 
For Mains: 
1. Discuss the need for a fresh study on caste among Christians and Muslims. Explain the reasons for social discrimination against the Dalits in the country. (250 Words)
 
 
Previous year questions
 
1. Justice Rajinder Sachar Committee was set up to study ________. (SSC CHSL  2019)
A. the environmental issues of the western ghats in India
B. the impact of globalisation on India
C. the standards maintained by government hospitals in India
D. the socio-economic status of Muslim community in India
 
Answer: D
 
Source: The Indian Express

PM SVANIDHI

 

1. Context

The PM Street Vendor’s AtmaNirbhar Nidhi (PM SVANidhi) scheme, which was launched in June amid the pandemic, is a micro-credit facility that provides street vendors a collateral-free loan of Rs 10,000 with low rates of interest for one year. 

2. Why was this scheme rolled out?

  • The COVID-19 pandemic and the nationwide lockdown left daily wage workers and street vendors out of work.
  • The scheme aims at aiding the vendors in getting back on their feet financially.
  • In the long term, it aims at establishing a credit score for the vendors as well as creating a digital record of their socio-economic status, so that they can avail of the central government schemes later.
  • The scheme also attempts to formalize the informal sector of the economy and provide them with safety nets and a means of availing loans in the future.

3. Who is a street vendor?

  • Any person engaged in vending of articles, goods, wares, food items, or merchandise of daily use or offering services to the public in a street, footpath, pavement, etc., from a temporary built-up structure or by moving from place to place.
  • The goods supplied by them include vegetables, fruits, ready-to-eat street food, tea, pakodas, bread, eggs, textile, apparel, artisan products, books/stationary, etc. and the services include barber shops, cobblers, pan shops, laundry services, etc.

4. What is the rationale of the scheme?

  • The COVID-19 pandemic and consequent lockdowns have adversely impacted the livelihoods of street vendors.
  • They usually work with a small capital base, which they might have consumed during the lockdown.
  • Therefore, credit for working capital to street vendors will be helpful to resume their livelihoods.

5. What are the objectives of the scheme?

To facilitate a working capital loan of up to 10,000 at a subsidized rate of interest;
  • To incentivize regular repayment of loans; and 
  • to reward digital transactions.

6. What are the salient features of the scheme?

  • Initial working capital of up to 10,000/-
  • Interest subsidy on timely/early repayment @ 7%.
  • Monthly cash-back incentive on digital transactions
  • Higher loan eligibility on timely repayment of the first loan

7. Eligibility criteria of the beneficiaries

  • The Scheme is available to all street vendors engaged in vending in urban areas *. The eligible vendors will be identified as per the following criteria:
  • Street vendors in possession of a Certificate of Vending / Identity Card issued by Urban Local Bodies (ULBs);
  • The vendors, who have been identified in the survey but have not been issued a Certificate of Vending / Identity Card; a Provisional Certificate of Vending would be generated for such vendors through an IT-based Platform. ULBs are encouraged to issue such vendors the permanent Certificate of Vending and Identification Card immediately and positively within one month.
  • Street vendors left out of the ULB-led identification survey or who have started vending after completion of the survey and have been issued a Letter of Recommendation (LoR) to that effect by the ULB/ Town Vending Committee (TVC); and 
  • The vendors of surrounding development/peri-urban/ rural areas vending in the geographical limits of the ULBs have been issued a Letter of Recommendation (LoR) to that effect by the ULB/TVC.
Identification of Beneficiaries Left out of the Survey or Belonging to the Surrounding Rural Areas While identifying the vendors belonging to Category 4 (iii) and (iv), the ULB/ TVC may consider any of the following documents to issue letters of recommendation:
  • The list of vendors, prepared by certain States/ UTs, for providing one-time assistance during the period of lockdown; OR
  • A system-generated request was sent to ULBs/ TVCs for the issue of LoR based on the recommendation of the Lender after verifying the credentials of the applicant; OR
  • The membership details with the vendor's associations including the National Association of Street Vendors of India (NASVI)/ National Hawkers Federation (NHF)/ Self-Employed Women’s Association (SEWA) etc.; OR (iv) The documents in possession of the vendor buttressing his claim of vending; OR (v) Report of local inquiry conducted by ULB/ TVC involving Self-Help Groups (SHGs), Community-Based Organizations (CBOs), etc. ULB shall complete the verification and issuance of LoR within 15 days of the submission of the application. 
  • Further, ULBs may adopt any other alternate way for identifying such vendors to ensure that all the eligible vendors are positively covered.
  • vendors who have gone back to their native places due to COVID-19 Some of the identified/surveyed or other vendors who have been vending/hawking in urban areas have left for their native places before or during the lockdown period because of the COVID-19 pandemic. Such vendors are likely to come back after the situation normalizes and resume their business. 
Once a LOR is issued by the ULBs, its mandate lasts a month, after which the survey for the issuance of the certificate of vending should be undertaken by the ULBs. But since it is a state subject, the central government can only direct or sensitize the state governments on the importance of doing so, and not evict vendors who have availed of the loan but do not have a certificate.
The scheme is already a hit; so far 25 lakh street vendors have come forward seeking the loan. The next stage being contemplated is to make a first-of-its-kind database of the beneficiaries of this scheme to see who they are, and where they belong vis-à-vis the government’s social security net woven through various welfare schemes on education, housing, food, livelihood, etc.,

7. Why is such a study needed?

  • The scheme plans to extend the microcredit to over 50 lakh street vendors across India, which is the estimated number of hawkers as per various urban local bodies.
  • But, going beyond the mandate of this scheme, the government wants to use the data for comprehensive poverty alleviation.
  • However, there is hardly any comprehensive structured data on the socio-economic profile of street vendors and the street vending economy in India, even in government surveys like the National Sample Survey Organisation (NSSO) and the Economic Survey.
  • The NSSO, for instance, has defined street vendors through a category of “enterprises without fixed premises” among “Unincorporated Non-Agricultural Enterprises (excluding construction)”, in its 67-68th round report published in 2011- 12. 
  • The NSSO data estimated that around 200,000 women and 21,500 children were engaged in street vending. Around 1.18 million households were dependent on this sector as their primary source of income, according to a paper by the think-tank Observer Research Foundation.
  • Non-governmental organizations and research by scholars have attempted to put together this kind of data several times in the past in bits and pieces.

8. Will this scheme actually work towards poverty alleviation?

  • Becoming formal beneficiaries of various government schemes works as a big step towards entering the policy intervention network.
  • Officials say it also helps in financial mainstreaming in the long run.
  • For example, several banks, bereft of the prior experience of extending loans as little as Rs. 10,000 to someone like a street vendor, are following processes like checking the CIBIL score for the street vendor and seeking PAN card and IT-return, etc.
  • While these cases are dealt with as hurdles on the ground, it is a fact that street vendors hardly have creditworthiness in the eyes of India's formal banking system.
  • Therefore, the PMSVANidhi is incentivizing digital transactions by street vendors. They will soon be given QR codes to receive payments through the government’s BHIM UPI app.
  • They are given cash back for digital transactions too. The idea is that with a trail of digital transactions against their names, they will create a formal transaction history in banks and will slowly build their creditworthiness for the future. 
For Prelims: PM Street Vendor’s AtmaNirbhar Nidhi (PM SVANidhi) scheme, Urban Local Bodies (ULBs), National Association of Street Vendors of India (NASVI)/ National Hawkers Federation (NHF)/ Self-Employed Women’s Association (SEWA), Self-Help Groups (SHGs),  Letter of Recommendation (LoR), National Sample Survey Organisation (NSSO) and BHIM UPI.
For Mains:1. What is the PM SVANidhi scheme and explain the rationale of the scheme. Discuss how it will help in the alleviation of poverty(250 words).
Source: The Indian Express

JUVENILE JUSTICE ACT

 

1. Context

The Juvenile Justice (Care and Protection of Children) Amendment Bill, 2021, which seeks to amend the Juvenile Justice Act, of 2015, was passed in Rajya Sabha. The Bill was tabled in Lok Sabha during the budget session in March 2023 this year where it received overwhelming support from both the ruling party as well as the Opposition.

2. What is the Juvenile Justice (Care and Protection of Children) Act, of 2015, which is being amended through this new Bill?

  • The Act was introduced and passed in Parliament in 2015 to replace the Juvenile Delinquency Law and the Juvenile Justice (Care and Protection of Children Act) 2000.
  • One of the main provisions of the new Act is allowing the trial of juveniles in conflict with the law in the age group of 16-18 years as adults, in cases where the crimes were to be determined.
  • The nature of the crime, and whether the juvenile should be tried as a minor or a child, was to be determined by a Juvenile Justice Board.
  • This provision received impetus after the 2012 Delhi gangrape in which one of the accused was just short of 18 years and was therefore tried as a juvenile. 
  • The second major provision is with regards to adoption, bringing a more universally acceptable adoption law instead of the Hindu Adoptions and Maintenance Act (1956) and Guardians of the Ward Act (1890) which was for Muslims, although the act did not replace these laws.
  • The act streamlined adoption procedures for orphans, and abandoned and surrendered children and the existing central Adoption Resource Authority (CARA) has been given the status of a statutory body to enable it to perform its function more effectively.

3. Highlights of Juvenile Justice Act, 2015

  • Parliament introduced and passed the Juvenile Justice (Care and Protection of Children) Act in 2015 to replace the Juvenile Delinquency Law and the Juvenile Justice (Care and Protection of Children Act) 2000.
  • The act offered provisions to allow trials of juveniles in the age group of 16-18 years as an adult who were found to conflict with the law, especially heinous crimes.
  • The Act also offered provisions regarding adoption. The Act replaced the Hindu Adoptions and Maintenance Act (1956) and Guardians of the Ward Act (1890) with a more universally accessible adoption law.
  • The Act enabled the smooth functioning of adoption procedures for orphans, surrendered, and abandoned children while making the Central Adoption Resource Authority (CARA) the statutory body for adoption-related matters.
  • Child Care Institutions (CCI): All Child Care Institutions, whether run by the state government or by a voluntary or non-governmental organization are to be mandatorily registered under the Act within 6 months from the date of commencement of the Act.

4. Why has the Juvenile Justice (Care and Protection Amendment) Bill, 2021 been brought by the government? 

  • It gives increased powers and responsibilities to District Magistrates, which were being made to not only ensure speedy trials and increased protection of children at the district level, with checks and balances in place but to also speed up the adoption processes in the country. 
  • According to the amendment, District Magistrates, including Additional District Magistrates, can now issue adoption orders under Section 61 of the JJ Act, to ensure the speedy disposal of cases and enhance accountability.
  • Adoption processes were currently under the purview of courts, and with an overwhelming backlog, each adoption case could take years to be passed.
  • This change will ensure that more orphans in need of homes will be adopted faster.

5. What powers will District Magistrates now have under the new Act? 

  • The District Magistrates have been further empowered under the Act to ensure its smooth implementation, as well as garner synergized efforts in favour of children in distress conditions.
  • This means that DMs and ADMs will monitor the functioning of various agencies under the JJ Act in every district including the Child Welfare Committees, the Juvenile Justice Boards, the District Child Protection units, and the Special Juvenile Protection Units.
  • Now, DMs are also responsible for ensuring that CCIs falling in their district are following all norms and procedures.
  • During the NCPCR surveys, for instance, CCIs with large funds, including foreign funding, had been found keeping children in unsanitary conditions in portacabins.

6. How will the Child Welfare Committees be monitored?

  • The DM will also carry out background checks of CWC members, who are usually social welfare activists, including educational qualifications, as there is no such provision currently.
  • The DMs are also to check possible criminal backgrounds to ensure that no cases of child abuse or child sexual abuse are found against any member before they are appointed.
  • The CWCs are also to report regularly to the DMs on their activities in the districts.

7. What are the changes made in offences by juveniles?

  • Under the 2015 Act, offences committed by juveniles are categorised as heinous offences, serious offences, and petty offences.
  • Serious offences include offences with three to seven years of imprisonment.
  • Most heinous crimes have a minimum or maximum sentence of seven years. According to the Juvenile Justice Act 2015, juveniles charged with heinous crimes and who would be between the ages of 16-18 years would be tried as adults and processed through the adult justice system.
  • The Bill adds that serious offences will also include offences for which maximum punishment is imprisonment of more than seven years, and minimum punishment is not prescribed or is less than seven years.
  • Both heinous and serious crimes have also been clarified for the first time, removing ambiguity.
  • This provision has been made to ensure that children, as much as possible, are protected and kept out of the adult justice system.
  • Heinous crimes with a maximum imprisonment of seven years pertain mostly to sexual offences and violent sexual crimes.
  • Presently, with no mention of a minimum sentence, and only the maximum seven-year sentence, juveniles between the ages of 16-18 years could also be tried as adults for a crime like the possession and sale of an illegal substance, such as drugs or alcohol, which will now fall under the ambit of a "serious crime".
  • The Act provides that offences against children that are punishable with imprisonment of more than seven years will be tried in the Children's Court while offences with punishments of less than seven years imprisonment will be tried by a Judicial Magistrate.

8. Way forward

  • While the amendments have been welcomed by most, in their attempt to provide better protection to children in the care of the need, the challenge perceived is that of having given too many responsibilities to the DM.
  • The DM is in charge of all processes in a district including all task forces and review meetings, and the fear is that the JJ Act amendment may fall through the cracks or not be given priority.
  • To ensure proper implementation of the JJ Act, the DM will have to hold regular fortnightly meetings with all five arms – CWC, JJ Board, CCI, district child protection units and special juvenile police units.
  • Specific training in child protection rules will also need to be imparted, as district magistrates usually are not trained or equipped to deal with these specific laws.
For Prelims: Juvenile Justice (Care and Protection of Children) Act, of 2015, Rajya Sabha, Hindu Adoptions and Maintenance Act (1956), Guardians of the Ward Act (1890), Central Adoption Resource Authority (CARA), Child Care Institutions(CCI), and Child Welfare Committees (CWC).
For Mains: 1. What are the Highlights of the Juvenile Justice Act, 2015 and discuss the Concern Associated with the Juvenile Justice Amendment Act, 2021?(250 Words)
Source: The Indian Express

NAGA INSURGENCY

1. Background

  • The British annexed Assam in 1826 and in 1881, the Naga Hills too became part of British India.
  • The first sign of Naga resistance was seen in the formation of the Naga Club in 1918, which told the Simon Commission in 1929 "to leave us alone to determine for ourselves as in ancient times".
  • In 1946 came the Naga National Council (NNC), under the leadership of Agami Zapu Phizo, declared Nagaland an independent state on August 14, 1947.
  • The NNC resolved to establish a "sovereign Naga state" and conducted a "referendum" in 1951, in which "99 per cent" supported an "independent" Nagaland.

2. The Armed Movement 

  • On March 22, 1952, Phizo formed the underground Naga Federal Government (NFG) and the Naga Federal Army (NFA).
  • The Government of India sent in the Army to crush the insurgency and in 1958 enacted the Armed Forces (Special Powers) Act.

3. The Peace efforts

  • Almost simultaneously with the resistance. On June 29, 1947, Assam Governor Sir Akbar Hyderi Signed a 9-point agreement with moderates T Sakhrie and Aliba Imti, which was almost immediately rejected by Phizo.
  • The Naga Hills, a district of Assam, was upgraded to a state in 1963, by also adding the Tuensang Tract which was then part of NEFA.
  • The Peace Mission got the government and NNC to sign an agreement to suspend operations that September.
  • But the NNC/NFG/NFA continued to indulge in violence and after six rounds of talks, the Peace Mission was abandoned in 1967 and a massive counter-insurgency operation was launched.

4. The formation of the National Socialist Council of Nagaland (NSCN)

  • On November 11, 1975, the government got a section of NNC leaders to sign the Shillong Accord, under which this section of NNC and NFG agreed to give up arms.
  • A group of about 140 members led by Thuingaleng Muivah, who was at that time in China, refused to accept the Shillong Accord and formed the National Socialist Council of Nagaland (NSCN) in 1980. 
  • In 1988, the NSCN split into NSCN (IM) and NSCN (K) after a violent clash.
  • While the NNC began to fade away, and Phizo died in London in 1991, the NSCN (IM) came to be seen as the "mother of all insurgencies" in the region.

5. NSCN (IM)

  • A "Greater Nagalim" comprising "all contiguous Naga-inhabited areas", along with Nagaland. That included several districts of Assam, Arunachal and Manipur as also a large tract of Myanmar.
  • The map of "Greater Nagalim" has about 1, 20, 000 sq km, while the state of Nagaland consists of 16, 527 sq km.
  • The claims have always kept Assam, Manipur and Arunachal Pradesh wary of a peace settlement that might affect their territories.
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